On March 11, 2000, Mayling Semidey was killed in a low-speed accident in her 1996 Ford Taurus. We filed suit on behalf of the Estate for the benefit of her 3 year old son. It was alleged that the airbag killed Ms. Semidey when it deployed, and that the airbag should not have been designed to deploy in such a low-speed accident where it was not needed. This matter was tried to verdict on November 12, 2003, with the jury finding Ford liable for the death of Mayling Semidey, and awarding $3.3 million dollars to her Estate.

On February 17, 2000, Mr. Doroteo Ortiz and Mr. Jose Rivas were killed when a John Deere 310E Backhoe Loader lurched forward into a hole they were working in crushing them. We filed suit against John Deere alleging that the accident could have been prevented if a safety device had been installed to prevent the tractor from moving unintentionally. The case settled for a confidential amount.

On June 15, 2000, Eric Dudley, 8 years of age, received a traumatic brain injury when the 1997 Ford Explorer in which he was riding rolled over after the right rear tire’s tread separated. We filed suit and alleged that the Firestone Wilderness AT tire on the vehicle was defective and that its failure contributed to the crash injuring Eric Dudley. It was also alleged that the Ford Explorer itself was inherently unstable, and uncontrollable when the tire failed. The case settled for a confidential amount.

On November 23, 1999, Alexander Sagrista, age 2, was killed, and his twin brother, Christopher, and mother, Christina, injured, when the 1997 Ford Explorer they were driving in experienced a tread separation and rolled over. We filed suit on behalf of the family and Estate alleging that the Firestone Wilderness AT tire on the vehicle was defective. It was also alleged that the Ford Explorer was unstable and that such instability contributed to the crash. The case settled for a confidential amount.

On July 5, 2001, Scott Bowden was killed after the left-rear tire on the 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe in which he was riding failed causing the vehicle to rollover. We filed suit alleging that the tire was defective in its design, and that it should have been removed by Rahal when they inspected the tires in weeks before the accident. The case settled for a confidential amount.

On November 7, 1996, Mr. Steve Holliman was severely injured when his right leg was sucked into an open pit with an auger inside. After an exhaustive investigation, it was learned that a third-party contractor, Southern Agcom, Inc., had undertaken to repair the safety grating over the pit, and failed to warn of the open pit exposing same. It was alleged that the failures to do so were negligent, and this matter was tried to verdict on February 14, 2003, with the jury finding Southern Agcom, Inc. liable, and awarding $1.8 million to Mr. Holliman and his wife.

On April 22, 1997, James Hemphill was involved in a motorcycle accident after he was cut-off by another vehicle. During the crash, Mr. Hemphill’s helmet cracked and he received a severe brain injury. We filed suit against the helmet manufacturer alleging the helmet was defectively designed, and that as-built would not protect consumers like Mr. Hemphill in foreseeable accidents. The case settled for a confidential amount.

On March 8, 1999, Anita Bushong was rendered a quadriplegic when her 1993 Nisan Pathfinder rolled over on an icy road in Wisconsin. We filed suit against Nissan alleging the vehicle’s roof and restraint systems failed to protect her during the rollover, and that Nissan failed to test the occupant protection systems. This case settled for confidential amount.

On April 28, 2002, Sandra Sigourney was rendered a quadriplegic when her 1996 Honda Passport left the road and rolled over. We filed suit, alleging the Honda Passport was defective because its roof crushed down in the rollover causing Mrs. Sigourney’s injury. It was alleged that alternatives designs for the roof and restraint systems would have protected Mrs. Sigourney, but were not used in the vehicle. This case settled for confidential amount.

On February 1, 2004, E.J. Luke was rendered a paraplegic when he was ejected from his 1995 Chevy Camero after it was first struck in the rear and then forced into oncoming traffic where it was hit a second time. As a result, E.J. Luke's seat failed rearward and the rear liftgate came open upon impact. We filed suit and alleged that the driver's seat and seat belt utilized by E.J. Luke were defective. It was also alleged that the liftgate was defective and created an open portal which allowed him to be thrown from the vehicle and suffer injury. The case settled for a confidential amount.

On March 25, 2002, Shirley Sullivan was severely injured when she was ejected out the rear of her 2002 Buick Rendezvous after a side-impact collision. We filed suit alleging that the vehicle was defective because the seatback of her seat broke rearward allowing her to be thrown into the back of the vehicle. It was also alleged that the rear liftgate was defective because it failed to remain closed preventing her ejection. The case resolved for a confidential amount. Ultimately, General Motors voluntarily recalled over 100,000 Buick Rendezvous vehicles to reinforce the rear liftgate to prevent unwanted openings in accidents.

On July 19, 2000, Carolina Caltabiano was ejected from the rear seat of a 1992 Suzuki Sidekick when it rolled over after the driver lost control. We filed suit on behalf of the Estate alleging that the accident was a result of the design of the vehicle which resulted in it being inherently unstable and prone to rolling over during normal use. The case resolved for a confidential amount.

On November 24, 2002, Dr. John Barnett was killed when his Ford Excursion, towing a 31' Sunnybrook Travel Trailer, experienced a sudden gust of wind that caused his tow vehicle/travel trailer to sway. We filed suit against Ford Motor Company, Sunnybrook RV, Inc., and Eaz-Lift Spring Corporation, alleging that the vehicle-trailer-hitch combination was defective in that it did not prevent the trailer from swaying during a foreseeable situation. The case settled for a confidential amount.

On March 21, 2004, the Howeedy family was traveling in their minivan when the right-rear tire separated, causing the vehicle to spin across the median of the Florida Turnpike and into the oncoming traffic of the southbound lanes. The Howeedy vehicle was struck by two southbound vehicles. As a result, 4 year old Kareem Howeedy and 14 year old Lila Howeedy were killed. 8 year old Ranya Howeedy suffered a severe brain injury, and their mother, Amany I. Abou-El-Eila was rendered a paraplegic. We filed suit and alleged that the Firestone FR 410 P205/70R15 radial tire was defective in design and manufacture. The case resolved for a confidential amount.

On August 29, 1999, Donna Viel and her fiancé, Palmer Lasala were killed, and Joseph Viel sustained a severe brain injury, when the tread from the vehicle's left rear tire partially separated. As a result, the vehicle spun across the median of Interstate 4 into the westbound lanes, where it was stuck in the passenger side by a vehicle traveling at highway speed. We filed suit and alleged that the P175/80R13 tire manufactured by Defendant, KUMHO was defective in design. The case resolved for a confidential amount on the night before trial.

On the night of the crash, Sunday, August 8, 2004, Melveenia Lewis was driving her 1993 Mercury Villager on Interstate 10. She and her family were returning from a family reunion in Marianna, FL. Her husband, Desmond Lewis (front passenger), her mother, Marchelle Robinson (left middle bench seat), her father-in-law, Kenneth Jones (right middle bench) and her three sons (all in the rear bench) were in her vehicle. The left rear tire, a Star Fire Flightline IV manufactured by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, separated, causing Mrs. Lewis to lose control of her vehicle. The van swerved to the right traveling partially into the eastbound outside lane of Interstate 10. The vehicle then began to rotate counterclockwise traveling back across the inside eastbound lane and into the median. The van rolled twice and collided with a tree. Mrs. Lewis sustained massive injuries and died at the scene, despite wearing her seatbelt. Her husband, her mother and her father-in-law suffered injuries. Miraculously, none of her three sons sustained any permanent physical injuries.

Mr. Lewis had purchased the subject tire on Thursday, August 5, 2004 at Pam's Quality Used Tires in Orlando for this specific trip. The tire appeared to have less than 1000 miles of wear on it at the time of the crash. Mr. Lewis testified that the tire was purchased used, but that it appeared to be brand new at the time of purchase. The tire separated less than three (3) days after being placed on the vehicle and took the life of Melveenia Lewis.