Steven Harrell

Review of Recent Personal Injury Settlements

Sep 23, 2011 Updates

The following is a summary of recent and significant personal injury settlements from my law practice:

Houston State Court  2000-$90,000

Client was staying in a Perry hotel, when he slipped and fell across the bathtub and the toilet tank in the hotel room after slipping in the hotel room bathtub on Defendant’s slippery and invisible cleaning fluid.  Client’s injuries required a double fusion surgery for his lower back.  This case settled at mediation.

Bleckley Superior Court  2007-$125,000

Client was duck hunting with a friend when they were separated in a swamp.  Ducks flew up between them, and the friend opened fire in client’s direction.  Steel shot pellets became embedded in client’s eye.  Client required three different eye surgeries, and lost vision as a result.  This case settled at mediation after we showed client’s actual loss of vision with visual field tests that were done before and after the shooting.

Peach Superior Court  2010-$16,000.00

Client was a front seat passenger in a pickup truck being  driven by her husband.  Just as the vehicle was turning left  from  the I-75 off ramp onto Sam Nunn Boulevard in Perry, the truck was t-boned by a Ford F350 truck that had run a red light at the same intersection.  This case settled after written discovery was completed.  Client sustained a whiplash injury in this collision.

Bleckley Superior Court  2010-$52,500.00

Client was seated in the front passenger seat of a pickup truck that was parked on a Cochran street.  A delivery truck of the Defendant, which was a tractor-trailer truck, turned the corner, and the right rear wheel of the trailer lifted the back of the pickup truck.  The pickup was lifted up and slammed down violently.  Client required a cervical fusion surgery after the collision.  This case settled at mediation after suit was filed.

Peach Superior Court  2006-$50,000

Plaintiff was a youth that was a rear seat passenger in an automobile.  An affray occurred at a residence in Crawford County.  As client was leaving the residence of a youth there with his friends, the father of one of the youths fired a handgun in the direction of their automobile.  A .38 caliber bullet entered the vehicle and struck client in the head, causing him serious and severe injuries.  This case settled after suit was filed against the shooter and his homeowner’s carrier was served with the lawsuit.  The carrier paid their policy limits to settle the case.

Houston State Court  2011-$25,000

Client was a patron in Defendant’s restaurant when she went to the restroom.  In the restroom, she slipped and fell on Defendant’s floor after Defendant’s employee mopped the floor with a greasy mop from the kitchen.  No signs were posted in the restroom that would have warned others of a wet or slippery floor.  Client sustained a whiplash injury from her fall.  This case settled after written discovery was completed.

Washington Superior Court  2006-$72,500

Clients were lawfully driving down U.S. Highway 80 to Dublin, when their pickup truck was struck from behind by a Ford F-350 fueling vehicle owned by Defendant logging company.  The F-350 truck was being driven by an employee of the logging company in the course of his employment.  The impact of the collision knocked the clients’ vehicle on its side.  Client husband received cuts, bruises, and a whiplash injury in the collision.  Client wife broke a vertebrae in her lower spine in this collision.  The driver of the fueling truck was under the influence of alcohol, and his blood alcohol level was over .18 grams percent at the time of the collision.  This case settled after suit was filed against the defendant logging company.

Bibb Superior Court  2010-$60,000

Client had a medical device inserted into his back to control his lower back pain.  Client met the representative of the medical device company in his doctor’s office for the purpose of activating the anti-pain device in his lower back.  Another rep had already preset the device when client was in the recovery room after it was implanted.  When the second rep powered up the device, it turned on at full power, throwing client into excruciating pain for over 15 minutes.  Client sustained a mild heart attack during this period.  This case settled after depositions were taken.

Bibb Superior Court  2010-$105,000

Client was a U.S. Postal employee delivering mail on the side of a roadway in Bibb County.  Defendant was operating his father’s sport car in excess of the posted speed limit.  Defendant ran his vehicle into the rear of another vehicle, which then rear ended Plaintiff’s postal truck.  Client received a low back injury which required a spinal fusion surgery.  This case settled at mediation after completion of discovery.  Eyewitness testimony was especially useful in helping us to establish the speed of the defendant’s vehicle at the time of impact.