Case Results
 The following accounts have either been published previously by various entities unrelated to Blankingship and Keith or have been prepared by us for dissemination to visitors to our website. The results obtained in specific cases depend on a variety of factors. It is generally impossible to know all factors that have influenced a specific result or an accumulation of specific results. Each legal matter consists of circumstances that are peculiar or unique to the specific case. The result obtained under one set of circumstances cannot be a predictor of the result likely to be obtained in a case that necessarily involves different circumstances. You should draw no conclusions about your particular legal matter from reading these accounts.
Car Accidents, Truck Accidents, Bus Accidents, and accidents involving other Commercial Vehicles
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$3,026,000 Settlement--Trucker disregards DOT regulations, poor weather: accident leaves woman with brain injury |
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$2,025,000 Jury Verdict--Trash truck hits passenger vehicle in Reston |
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$1,800,000--Trucker's distraction causes head on collision |
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$1,250,000 Tanker driver adjusting heater slams into passenger vehicle |
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$1,200,000 Settlement--Dump Truck Jumps Guard Rail at I 95 Mixing Bowl |
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$687,000 Settlement--Truck Accident kills Baptist Minister; Speeding truck driver had unstable work history, numerous moving violations |
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$585,000 Settlement--81-year-old injured in Fairfax accident |
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$450,000 mediated settlement – Improperly Repaired Parking Brake – Shoulder Injury |
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$425,000 Settlement--Drunk delivery van driver runs red light, strikes elderly woman |
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$225,000 Settlement--Actor suffers knee, head injuries in truck accident |
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$220,000 Jury Verdict--Trucker with nine prior accidents injures man on I 95 |
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$175,000 settlement –Elderly Woman Killed on Route 29 |
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$108,500 Verdict--Catering truck fractures maintenance worker's hip |
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Cable van veers into oncoming traffic, injures wife and husband |
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Icy road too much for truck driver: two pedestrians struck down in accident |
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Families injured in van collision on Beltway |
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Doctor struck from behind by truck on I 495 |
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Pedestrian injured by motorcycle in South Carolina |
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Tow truck driver using cell phone kills state trooper; Confidential Settlement |
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Truck Driver on suspended license strikes passenger vehicle |
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Failed emergency brake injures truck driver |
Wrongful Death
Sexual Assault Victims and Inadequate Security
Children's Legal Rights
Defective Products and Workplace Safety
Brain Injury
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$15,000,000 Jury Verdict --Defective window screen severely injures child |
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$3,026,000 Settlement--Trucker disregards DOT regulations, poor weather: accident leaves woman with brain injury |
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$2,025,000 Jury Verdict--Trash truck hits passenger vehicle in Reston |
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$1,500,000 Settlement--Woman raped in apartment complex; misled about neighborhood risks |
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$1,200,000 Settlement--Dump Truck Jumps Guard Rail at I 95 Mixing Bowl |
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$675,000 Settlement--Low Speed Tractor Trailer Accident Leaves Therapist Brain Injured |
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$450,000 Settlement--Bicyclist injures brain in roadway accident |
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Confidential Settlement--Gang beating ends with brain injury |
General
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$1,300,000 settlement--Vagrant murders woman in unsecure apartment building ($1,300,000) |
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$1,058,000 Settlement--Child's brain injury result of poorly designed trail |
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$730,000 settlement – State Police Motorcycle Trooper Killed on I 95 |
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$675,000 mediated settlement – Manlift Operator Crushed to Death |
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$175,000 settlement –Elderly Woman Killed on Route 29 ($175,000) |
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Confidential Settlement--Serviceman slain at university; lack of security blamed |
$3,026,000 Settlement--Trucker disregards DOT regulations, poor weather: accident leaves woman with brain injury
Prince Georges County, Md: Tractor Trailer lost control in icy roadway conditions on Route 95, in violations of DOT regulations against driving in dangerous conditions. Case settled in Prince Georges County Maryland circuit court.
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$2,025,000 Jury Verdict--Trash truck hits passenger vehicle in Reston
$2,025,000 Jury Verdict--AAA trash truck hit passenger car from rear in Reston near the Dulles Toll Road. Trucks brakes were defective, driver was inexperienced and truck was overloaded. Case tried in Fairfax Circuit Court. Company offered $135,000 prior to trial; Jury Verdict of $2,025,000.
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$1,800,000--Trucker's distraction causes head on collision
A tractor-trailer operated by a large national trucking company based in Richmond, Virginia, crossed over the center line of Route 340 in Clarke County and ran nearly head-on into our client’s Toyota Corolla, as he tried desperately to avoid the truck. The truckdriver had not seen a car slowing in front of him to make a left turn, braked too late, jackknifed, and slid into our client’s lane of traffic.
Our client, a 42-year-old flight attendant, struck his head and left knee in the wreck, suffered a collapsed lung, and broke his foot and several ribs. He lost consciousness twice at the scene and sustained a mild traumatic brain injury. He tore his ACL and PCL in his left knee, underwent three surgeries, with extensive recuperation required each time, and still has significant impairments that affect his ability to run with his children and play sports, and that make his work more difficult.
He continues to suffer the effects of his mild brain injury in areas such as memory, organization, and cognitive fatigue. High-level cognitive therapy has assisted him.
We faced several serious problems with the case, most notably the location of the wreck. Both sides felt that if the case were tried in Clarke county, the verdict might be far less than in other venues. Taking advantage of the company’s location in Richmond, we filed suit in that court. The trucking company twice tried to move the case and we prevailed both times.
The defense argued that our client had suffered no brain injury, claimed that he had only briefly lost consciousness, and argued, alternatively, that he had problems stemming from substance abuse. The Plaintiff was prepared to call a series of strong lay witnesses to contrast the plaintiff’s abilities before and after the wreck and to discuss the life changing nature of his injuries.
Both sides agree to mediate the case with a retired judge, and our client’s sister, who had been with him in the ER, spoke at the mediation and proved to be a very powerful witness. We also used video interviews of two lay witnesses and the plaintiff describing the nature of the plaintiff’s injuries and their impact on his life at mediation.
The case settled for $1,800,000.
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$1,250,000 Tanker driver adjusting heater slams into passenger vehicle
Fauquier County, Va: Tanker struck passenger car head-on, on Rt. 17, one-lane highway, after driver took eyes off road to adjust heater. Case pending in Fairfax Circuit Court. Nurse and mom of three seriously injured in wreck.
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$1,200,000 Settlement--Dump Truck Jumps Guard Rail at I 95 Mixing Bowl
Multiple settlements in Fairfax Circuit Court for a young man severely injured when a large dump truck crossed four lanes of I 95 north, jumped the guard rail and landed on the car he was in on I 95 south.
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$687,000 Settlement--Truck Accident kills Baptist Minister; Speeding truck driver had unstable work history, numerous moving violations
California federal court case on behalf of the family of a clergyman killed in car hit by a tanker; investigation revealed that tanker driver had been speeding, had been fired and rehired by his employer three times, and had amassed numerous moving violations.
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$585,000 Settlement--81-year-old injured in Fairfax accident
Fairfax Circuit Court action in which we represented 81-year old former concentration camp escapee and competitive tennis player broadsided by Swedish executive driving rented Mustang convertible.
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$450,000 mediated settlement – Improperly Repaired Parking Brake – Shoulder Injury
Richmond, Virginia; a career truck driver injured his shoulder during a delivery when the parking brake in his truck failed, causing it to roll down a hill. The driver had reported that the brakes were bad. The defendants attempted to fix the brakes, but failed to notify the driver that the repairs had not been completed.
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$425,000 Settlement--Drunk delivery van driver runs red light, strikes elderly woman
Fairfax County, Va: Intoxicated driver of a delivery van ran red light and injured elderly woman
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$225,000 Settlement--Actor suffers knee, head injuries in truck accident
Settlement for a television actor who injured his knee and head when struck by a dump truck hauling a load of asphalt with defective brakes in Reston, Virginia.
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$220,000 Jury Verdict--Trucker with nine prior accidents injures man on I 95
Fairfax County, Va: Tractor-trailer struck passenger car from rear on Washington Beltway, in Springfield. Driver was incompetent, on probation for prior violations. Case tried in Fairfax Circuit court. The driver of the truck had nine prior accidents and may have been using an on-board email system at the time of the wreck.
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$175,000 settlement –Elderly Woman Killed on Route 29
Prince William, Va.: an 87 year old woman was killed on her way to a party celebrating the birth of her first great-grandson when a driver on a side street ran through a stop sign into her path of travel.
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$108,500 Verdict--Catering truck fractures maintenance worker's hip
Fairfax County, Va: Catering truck backed over elderly maintenance worker in parking lot, fracturing his hip.
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Cable van veers into oncoming traffic, injures wife and husband
Fairfax County, Va: Wife and husband injured on 495 when driver of television cable communication truck lost control and veered into oncoming lanes. Case pending.
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Icy road too much for truck driver: two pedestrians struck down in accident
New York: Delivery truck lost control on icy roadway and struck husband and wife who were standing on the side of the road. Case pending.
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Families injured in van collision on Beltway
Members of two families seriously injured when van crossed over from northbound lanes of 495 to southbound lanes. Case Pending.
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Doctor struck from behind by truck on I 495
Settlement for a physician injured when his car was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer on I 495.
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Pedestrian injured by motorcycle in South Carolina
South Carolina case in which we represented pedestrian who suffered very serious orthopedic injuries when struck by motorcyclist while crossing road.
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Tow truck driver using cell phone kills state trooper; Confidential Settlement
Fairfax County, Va: Tow truck struck and killed state trooper in the line of duty on motorcycle on Route 95 in Fairfax County. Driver not paying attention, using cell phone; problems with driver hiring and retention in view of criminal and driving history. Case settled.
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Truck Driver on suspended license strikes passenger vehicle
Excavating company dump truck hit passenger car from rear. Driver inattentive, driving on suspended license. Case pending. Prince William County Circuit Court.
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Failed emergency brake injures truck driver
Charlottesville, Va: Truck repair firm improperly serviced truck, leaving defective emergency brake. Truckdriver hit after dismounting when truck rolled downhill after brake failed. Case pending.
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$8,000,000 Jury Verdict--Truck driver strikes car, killing family in fiery crash
$8,000,000 Jury Verdict--Truck driver strikes car, killing family in fiery crash Lancaster, Pennsylvania Tractor-trailer driver not paying attention struck passenger car, killing Centreville family when fuel spilled and car ignited. GM also defendant. Case prepared and tried by lead counsel in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.(Blankingship & Keith assisted, but played a very limited role in this matter). Case resolved after appeals, with delay damages added, for $12,900,000
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$1,300,000 settlement--Vagrant murders woman in unsecure apartment building
Virginia federal court action on behalf of family of young woman slain at apartment building by vagrant who frequented building; building access cards were available for sale on the street and lock was frequently broken.
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$730,000 Settlement Trooper Killed in the Line of Duty
We represented the wife and two young children of a heroic state trooper tragically killed in the line of duty by a careless tow truck driver. The tow truck company only had $100,000 policy, but we convinced the insurance company that it should have written a much larger policy under Virginia law. The family thus recovered $730,000 on a $100,000 policy in a Fairfax County case.
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Truck Accident kills Baptist Minister; Speeding truck driver had unstable work history, numerous moving violations
$575,000 Settlement The family of an internationally known Baptist Minister retained our firm when he died after a tanker hauling hazardous chemicals struck a car in which he was riding in California. One major problem arose—the driver of the car had driven out in front of the tanker, who had the right of way, but was speeding. Discovery in our lawsuit and our investigation revealed that his company had fired the trucker 3 times, only to rehire him each time. He had amassed more than 10 moving violations, and we disocvered that he had invented an alias in Oregon and secured a second license under that name. Despite major problems in the case stemming from the actions of the driver of the car in which the clergyman was riding, we settled the case against the trucking company for more than $575,000; the total settlement was $675,000.
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Settlement for Family of Ethiopian Man Crushed by Manlift in Parking Garage
We represented the family of a young Ethiopian man who had emigrated to America to pursue the American Dream. He worked 50-60 hours a week as a parking lot attendant at two jobs, to save money to attend college. Tragically he died when a "manlift" that parking garage employees use to travel between floors malfunctioned, crushing him.
Rob Stoney, our partner in charge of defective product litigation, discovered numerous OSHA and other violations that made the dangerous manlift an accident waiting to happen. We sued and through mediation settled with the manufacturer, the owner of the building, and the manlift maintenance company.
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Confidential Settlement--Serviceman slain at university; lack of security blamed
D.C. Superior Court case in which we represented young children of serviceman slain at late night function at school; university determined three guards were necessary but none on duty at time of shooting.
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$1,500,000 Settlement--Woman raped in apartment complex; misled about neighborhood risks
Arlington County: Virginia state court action in which we represented a young woman raped by intruder in dangerous complex; victim moved into complex after leasing agent misrepresented criminal history.
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$500,000 Settlement; Tenant sexually assaulted in unguarded apartment complex
D.C. Superior Court action in which we represented young woman sexually assaulted by intruder in apartment complex.
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Assault in Parking Garage of Major Shopping Mall
Confidential settlement for victim of beating in parking garage; outdoor security was lax.
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Child Sexual Abuse
Settlement for adult male survivor of child sexual abuse at religious school, who repressed memory of the incidents
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Bicyclists collide on Fairfax trail
Fairfax Circuit Court action in which we represented young woman hit head on by another bicyclist when biking on Mt. Vernon trail.
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Security lapse leads to after-hours abduction at mall
Virginia federal court action in which we represented young woman abducted at gunpoint from interior of regional mall after mall closed.
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Manager sexually assaults waitress
Virginia state court action against large fast food chain on behalf of waitress sexually assaulted by shift manager.
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President of convenience store chain sexually assaults employee
Virginia state court action against president of 5-store chain for sexually assaulting employee.
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$15,000,000 Jury Verdict --Defective window screen severely injures toddler
Fairfax Circuit Court action in which we secured a jury verdict for a young child catastrophically injured by defective window screen. The verdict was later reversed on appeal.
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$1,200,000 Settlements for 14 Year Old Boy Injured in Catastrpohic Mixing Bowl Wreck
Multiple settlements in Fairfax Circuit Court for a young man severely injured when a large dump truck crossed four lanes of I 95 north, jumped the guard rail and landed on the car he was in on I 95 south.
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$1,058,000 Settlement for 7 Year Old Girl Injured on Defective Bike Trail
We represented a seven year old girl seriously injured when riding on a bike path in her neighborhood in West Springfield. The bike trail had been built too steeply by the developer, in violation of the design plans and Fairfax County grade requirements. She suffered a serious head injury, but happily made a remarkable recovery.
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$15,000,000 Jury Verdict--Defective window screen severely injures child
Fairfax Circuit Court action in which we secured a jury verdict for a young child catastrophically injured by defective window screen. The verdict was later reversed on appeal.
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$1,228,000 settlement – Student injures hand in woodshop machine
Fairfax, Va.; A 15 year old special education student at a private school lost two fingers and much of the use of his left hand after it got caught in a defective dust collector in the school’s woodshop. The school and the manufacturer both accepted responsibility for the injury.
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$800,000 settlement--Faulty forklift crushes driver's hand
Richmond, Va: Truck driver badly injured when 8,500 pound steel bar dropped on his hand. Main liability issue was forklift safety.
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$675,000 mediated settlement – Manlift Operator Crushed to Death
Washington, D.C.; an unmarried parking lot attendant was crushed by an obstruction in a parking garage when multiple safety devices on a manlift failed to stop it from traveling above the top floor. The manlift had been serviced by one defendant two weeks prior to the accident and more than 20 safety code violations.
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$450,000 mediated settlement – Improperly Repaired Parking Brake – Shoulder Injury
Richmond, Virginia; a career truck driver injured his shoulder during a delivery when the parking brake in his truck failed, causing it to roll down a hill. The driver had reported that the brakes were bad. The defendants attempted to fix the brakes, but failed to notify the driver that the repairs had not been completed.
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$435,000 Settlement- Wrong fuel hose leaves trucker with severe burns
Fairfax, Va.; truck driver burned when fuel vapor ignited while he refueled his truck. The hose sold to driver's employer was nonconductive, allowing a dangerous build up of static electricity. The defective hose sparked a fireball when it discharged.
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$15,000,000 Jury Verdict --Defective window screen severely injures child
Fairfax Circuit Court action in which we secured a jury verdict for a young child catastrophically injured by defective window screen. The verdict was later reversed on appeal.
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$3,026,000 Settlement--Trucker disregards DOT regulations, poor weather: accident leaves woman with brain injury
Prince Georges County, Md: Tractor Trailer lost control in icy roadway conditions on Route 95, in violation of DOT regulations against driving in dangerous conditions. Case settled in Prince Georges County Maryland Circuit Court.
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$2,025,000 Jury Verdict--Trash truck hits passenger vehicle in Reston
AAA trash truck hit passenger car from rear in Reston near the Dulles Toll Road. Truck brakes were defective, driver was inexperienced and truck was overloaded. Case tried in Fairfax Circuit Court. Company offered $135,000 prior to trial; Jury Verdict of $2,025,000
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$1,500,000 Settlement--Woman raped in apartment complex; misled about neighborhood risks
Arlington County: Virginia state court action in which we represented a young woman raped by intruder in dangerous complex; victim moved into complex after leasing agent misrepresented criminal history.
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$1,200,000 Settlement--Dump Truck Jumps Guard Rail at I 95 Mixing Bowl
Multiple settlements in Fairfax Circuit Court for a young man severely injured when a large dump truck crossed four lanes of I 95 north, jumped the guard rail and landed on the car he was in on I 95 south.
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$675,000 Settlement--Low Speed Tractor Trailer Accident Leaves Therapist Brain Injured
Fairfax County, Va.: Tractor-trailer struck SUV at 10 M.P.H on Beltway in rush hour traffic; client suffered brain injury from impact of 60,000 pound truck.
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$450,000 Settlement--Bicyclist injures brain in roadway accident
Defective Roadway/Cycling Accident -- Fairfax Circuit Court action in which we represented a young man who bicycled into unmarked hole in roadway left by construction crew, and who suffered brain injury (see Va. Cir. 122 (1991).
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Confidential Settlement--Gang beating ends with brain injury
Virginia federal court action in which we represented brain- injured victim of beating at regional mall by gang of young women.
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$1,300,000 settlement--Vagrant murders woman in unsecure apartment building
Virginia federal court action on behalf of family of young woman slain at apartment building by vagrant who frequented building; building access cards were available for sale on the street and lock was frequently broken.
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$1,058,000 Settlement--Child's brain injury result of poorly designed trail
Fairfax Circuit Court action on behalf of 7-year old girl who suffered brain injuries when riding down a dangerously steep trail built in violation of county requirements.
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$730,000 settlement – State Police Motorcycle Trooper Killed on I 95
Fairfax, Va.: a Virginia State Police Motorcycle Officer responding to a call of “shots fired” during the D.C. sniper crisis was run off the road by a tow truck in heavy traffic. He was killed when he struck a guard rail and was thrown from his bike.
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$675,000 mediated settlement – Manlift Operator Crushed to Death
Washington, D.C.: an unmarried parking lot attendant was crushed by an obstruction in a parking garage when multiple safety devices on a manlift failed to stop it from traveling above the top floor. The manlift had been serviced by one defendant two weeks prior to the accident and more than 20 safety code violations.
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$175,000 settlement –Elderly Woman Killed on Route 29
Prince William, Va.; an 87 year old woman was killed on her way to a party celebrating the birth of her first great-grandson when a driver on a side street ran through a stop sign into her path of travel.
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Confidential Settlement--Serviceman slain at university; lack of security blamed
D.C. Superior Court case in which we represented young children of serviceman slain at late night function at school; university determined three guards were necessary but none on duty at time of shooting.
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