Verdicts & Settlements

Alley, Clark & Greiwe is a leader in Florida personal injury litigation.  Our attorneys have obtained successful jury verdicts and settlements in a variety of mass tort, automobile, medical malpractice, and complex personal injury claims.  Highlights of some of these claims are below.

$18 Million Verdict Against Big Tobacco 

On May 17, 2016, after more than two weeks in trial, a jury in Polk County, Florida, awarded $18 million in damages ($6 million in compensatory and $12 million in punitive damages) to the widow of a retired U.S. Air Force serviceman.  Her husband had died from lung cancer caused by his addiction to nicotine in cigarettes manufactured by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.  The Plaintiff was represented by Alley, Clark & Greiwe attorneys James D. Clark and Don Greiwe, and Tampa attorney Brent R. Bigger of Knopf Bigger.  The case was one of the many individual cases currently being litigated in Florida as a result of the landmark Engle case which was initially brought against tobacco companies as a class action.  The Engle case ruling by the Florida Supreme Court opened the door for qualified individuals to sue tobacco companies directly for many smoking-related diseases and the harms caused by those diseases and medical conditions.  

$1,600,000 Settlement of Products Liability Lawsuit - Tampa Injury Attorney

The Plaintiff in this case lost his dominate arm by traumatic amputation when the blades of a radiator fan flew off the fan as he was performing mechanical work on the engine while it was running. Previous incidents involving the manufacturer’s fans were uncovered during litigation, as well as additional serious safety flaws and design defects.  The safety violations ultimately resulted in the fan manufacturer compensating the Plaintiff for his injuries. Plaintiff was retired from the military and worked as a mechanic at his own business.

$985,000 Settlement of Auto Claim for Surviving Spouse - Tampa Auto Accident Attorney

An 83 year-old man was killed as he traveled through an intersection and was broadsided by a car traveling on a cross-road which ran perpendicular to his direction of travel. Although there should have been a stop sign controlling his movement through the intersection, the stop sign had previously been knocked over by a garbage truck and not reported by the truck driver or the truck driver’s helper. Both the truck driver and his helper were aware that they had backed over and knocked down the stop sign, but the need to meet their schedule caused them to leave the scene and not report the downed sign, which resulted in a drastically unsafe intersection for unsuspecting motorists. Additionally, the video camera monitoring the rear view of the garbage truck was not operating and had been reported for months by various drivers of the truck that it was not operational.  These serious safety violations resulted in compensation for the decedent's family.

Confidential Settlement against Nursing Home on behalf of Surviving Adult Children - Tampa Nursing Home Attorney

The deceased suffered from more than 1,500 ant bites which resulted in anaphylactic reaction and suffocation. The nursing home was aware of the existing problem with ants, yet failed to respond reasonably with appropriate safety controls. In fact, the nursing home had an existing contract with a pest control company, but the pest control contract called for inspections and treatments only to the outside premises.  This serious safety violation resulted in a tragic death, and we were able to collect compensation for the victim's legal survivors. 

$2 Million Partial Settlement of a Wrongful Death Claim

Medical staff failed to timely notify the correct physician as a patient's blood pressure was declining.  Our firm was able to obtain a settlement on behalf of the decedent's survivors.

$1.5 Million Confidential Settlement of a pharmaceutical litigation case reached in 2011 just prior to trial.   

$955,000.00 Settlement of Medical Malpractice Lawsuit - Sarasota Medical Malpractice Attorney

An elderly patient was inappropriately prescribed the blood thinner Coumadin after surgery.  The medication error by medical staff resulted in a hematoma formation over enough time that the patient's spinal cord was pressured and paralysis occured.  Compensation was made to the patient because of the tragic result of the medication error.

$900,000 Settlement of Auto Accident Claim - St. Pete Auto Accident Attorney

The plaintiff in this case was a commercial pilot. While visiting Florida, he and his family were hit in a head-on vehicle collision. He was taken to the hospital with grade I open tibia-fibula fracture and a right calcaneous fracture. The plaintiff was unable to continue his employment as a commercial pilot.  He received compensation for his injuries and lost wages.

$680,000 Settlement in a confidential pharmaceutical case

$600,000 Settlement of Wrongful Death Claim brought on behalf of a Construction Worker - Tampa Wrongful Death Attorney

While a worker was receiving roof trusses being lifted to the top floor of a four-story apartment building, the Decedent was knocked over the edge and fell 43 feet to his death. The Defendant employer in this case failed to have proper fall restraint systems or the routine safety systems in place for workers performing tasks at heights.  Our investigation and research found the Defendant had been previously cited by OSHA on multiple occasions for violations of similar safety regulations that could have prevented this tragic death.

$2.6 Million Settlement from Wrongful Death Motor Vehicle Accident

The wrongful death claim of a 79 year-old woman and the personal injury claim of her spouse resolved at mediation.  These claims resulted from the same motor vehicle accident.

$575,000 in Confidential Settlement of Medical Malpractice/Wrongful Death Lawsuit 

This case involved a patient who was admitted to a hospital for a planned low back surgery.  During surgery, the anesthesiologist provided inadequate, inappropriate, or no "fluid management" and the patient suffered a massive hemorrhage.  This was a death that was preventable. The patient languished and deteriorated over the course of 53 days following surgery and ultimately died from his injuries.  The anesthesiologist's policy was limited to $500,000, and the decedent's family was compensated to the fullest extent available for his wrongful death.

Approximate $500,000 Settlement of Medical Malpractice/Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A Northwest Florida client had Rocky Mountain spotted fever that went undiagnosed and caused the patient's death. A family physician and his employee, a nurse practitioner, resolved the claim by payment of a confidential amount in light of the fact that an inadequate history was taken by the nurse practitioner.  The patient would have survived had proper antibiotic therapy been initiated.  The victim's family received compensation due to the oversight of classic symptoms by medical staff.

$525,000 Settlement in a confidential product liability case involving a recalled drug

$500,000 Settlement Medical Malpractice/Wrongful Death against Hospital Emergency Room

The decedent died because of a hypoxic/anoxic brain injury due to inadequate oxygenation. The patient presented to a local area hospital Emergency Room suffering from an allergic reaction.  There was a failure by medical staff to adequately preserve an airway in sufficient time, despite the patient's symptoms, and the patient ultimately suffocated and died.   

Confidential Settlement of Medical Malpractice Claim for North Florida Woman with a Partial Foot Amputation

When presenting to the ER with gastric problems, hospital personnel attempted insertion of an IV line at several locations. Ultimately, without appropriate order from a physician, a nurse inserted an IV line into the top of the patient’s foot. The medication Phenergan, a known problematic medication when given through an IV, was administered to the patient through the inappropriately placed IV line. Over the course of the next several days the patient developed gangrene which necessitated a partial amputation. The case was resolved at mediation due to the medical error by hospital staff that caused the patient's amputation. 

$250,000 Policy Limits Settlement during Pre-Suit Medical Malpractice/Wrongful Death Claim

This case involved the wife of retired physician who died as a result of metastatic lung cancer which went undiagnosed for approximately one year. The deceased was a non-smoker.  A routine chest x-ray went unreviewed by her family physician.  This x-ray showed the presence of a suspicious mass which required follow-up by the patient.  However, the films were not reviewed by her doctor, which meant there was no contact with the patient regarding the suspicious findings.  Her spouse elected to settle the wrongful death matter for the doctor's policy limits.

$200,000 Settlement of Product Liability Claim

The plaintiff was a practicing orthopedic surgeon and a proficient cyclist. She was riding her recumbent bicycle with her cleats snapped into the bike's pedals. While riding she made a gentle turn on her bicycle at a low rate of speed when her bicycle started to skid. As she attempted to release her foot from the pedal, the pedal failed to release causing her to fall while remaining locked in the pedal. Because her right foot remained locked in the pedal due to a design defect, she hyperflexed and twisted her right knee causing her to sustain significant cartilage and knee joint damage. There were numerous safety and design defects that resulted in this accident.  The safety violations eventually resulted in the manufacturer agreeing to compensate the plaintiff.

$196,000.00 Settlement Motor Vehicle-Bicycle Crash - St. Pete Auto Accident Attorney

The client in this case was riding a bicycle and traveling on the proper side of the road.  He was forced to “push off” from a passing motor vehicle as it drifted toward him. The resulting fall caused by the negligent acts of the at-fault driver of the vehicle caused the bike rider to suffer a significant break to his upper arm requiring multiple surgeries.