Chicago Personal Injury Law Firm
Case Results
The Bradley Law Firm has experienced great success in the past and has received some very substantial settlements including the following:
- Confidential v. Confidential
$4,050,000.00 settlement
Product liability settlement against manufacturer of exercise equipment - Fenelon v. Taylor
$500,000.00 settlement during second week of trial
Motor vehicle accident case - Maxwell v. Conway Freight
$500,000.00 settlement
Wrongful death case - Fu v. Vemulipalli
$230,668.54 jury verdict
Car accident case with $13,000 in medical bills - Nwadibia v. Namin
$90,000.00 jury verdict
No-damage, no medical bills case based upon pain and suffering alone - Judge awards $30 million in Tolen sexual abuse case
Trial Award: $30,040,000.00 - Family handed judgment in lawsuit over car crash - #2 Car Accident Verdict in 2010
$10.15 million judgment - $10.15 million bench judgment
- Court: Oregon County Circuit Court
- Case Number/Date: 06AM-CV00018/Aug.30, 2010
- Judge: Terry I. Adelman
- Plaintiffs’ Expert: Dr. Richard T. Katz, St. Louis (life care planning)
- Last Pre-trial Demand: $20,000,000
- Insurer: Shelter Mutual Insurance Co.
- Caption: David Adams, Landon Adams and LaCrysta Adams v. Timothy King, Shelter Mutual Insurance Co.
- Plaintiffs’ Attorney: Ryan Bradley, Bradley Law Firm, Clayton
- Defendants’ Attorneys: Sam Spain, Spain, Miller and Spain, Poplar Bluff; Thomas Magee, Moser & Marsalek, St. Louis
- Wootens v. Morenzoni and Overnite Transportation Company
Confidential Settlement - Kuntz v. Car Haven
$4,007,000 judgment
Wrongful death involving negligent maintenance of an emergency brake, causing the vehicle to roll on top of and kill the decedent - Dolter v. Confidential Truck Company and Confidential Truck Stop,
$2,000,000 settlement
Wrongful death resulting from an 18-wheeler truck accident - Raymond Russell v. Judy Taylor
Truck accident wrongful death claim. Settlement of $1,000,000. - Hager v. Great American Express, Inc.
$1,000,000 settlement
Wrongful death case involving a tractor trailer that crossed the center line, running over the decedent's vehicle - In re: Hazel Cole- Will contest case
$900,000 settlement - Farr v. Schoeneman
$321,398.50 verdict
Wrongful death case resulting from an automobile collision - Buckman & Wilkinson v. Missouri Department of Natural Resources, L. & P. Smith, and Country Preferred Insurance Company
$300,000 settlement
Our clients, Mr. Buckman & Ms. Wilkinson filed suit against the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Smiths, and Country Preferred Insurance for the wrongful death of their son in a motorcycle accident at Saint Joe State Park in Saint Francois County, Missouri. Our clients’ son, Stephen, was operating a Kawasaki motorcycle when the Smiths’ 12 year old child, operating a modified and performance enhanced Yamaha ATV, struck Stephen’s motorcycle head on, resulting in fatal injuries. Stephen was pronounced dead at the scene.We alleged the Missouri Department of Natural Resources negligently maintained defective property at Saint Joe State Park because a significantly underage minor was allowed to operate a highly modified ATV without proper supervision, the property consisted of irregular terrain causing unexpected operation of off road vehicles, and the property failed to have designated routes of travel or posted rules for the operation of such vehicles. In addition, we alleged the Smiths’ entrustment of the highly modified ATV to their twelve year old son was negligent because they knew or should have known that he was incapable of adequately operating the vehicle due to his youth and inexperience. In fact, the Smiths’ son testified his father recently lengthened the suspension of ATV, which made it more difficult to turn. Despite the Smith’s son bringing this to his parents’ attention, they told him to go ahead and ride the ATV.
Although Allstate Insurance Company initially denied our claim against the Smiths, Allstate paid $300,000 after a policy limits demand was sent. Allstate even filed a lawsuit against the Smiths, asking the court to declare there was no insurance coverage for the claim. Our law firm argued there was coverage and convinced Allstate to pay the Smiths’ policy limits.
- Baldwin v. Wheeler & State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
$300,000 verdict
Baldwin was injured when her SUV was negligently struck by an SUV in a Gasconade County high school parking lot. Immediately following the crash, Baldwin experienced pain of numbness in her thigh and stiffness in her neck. Weeks later, Baldwin was treated by a healthcare professional and had complaints of headaches and radiating pain extending into her shoulder, arm and hand. In addition to the claim against Wheeler, Baldwin made a claim for underinsured motorist benefits under her own auto insurance policy. Our law firm successfully argued she was entitled to the policy limits of underinsured motorist coverage with no set-off or caps from State Farm. The trial court awarded Baldwin $300,000 for her injuries. - $225,000
Illinois truck crash, soft tissue injuries - A couple from Illinois was awarded a total of $225,000 for their soft tissue injuries
- In a tractor trailer accident case, a client was awarded $175,000 after he was left with soft tissue injuries and impaired memory.
- Client received the policy limit of $150,000 in a wrongful death claim and separate personal injury claim.
- In a wrongful death claim, a client was awarded the policy limit of $150,000.
- Grammar v. Goedecker-Sulz
$100,000 settlement
Our client filed a lawsuit against a female defendant for injuries sustained to his neck and lower back after Allstate Insurance Company made an offer to settle his claims for $8,500. The defendant was negligent per se because she was in direct violation of Missouri statute for failure to stop at a lawfully placed stop sign, and she failed to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic. She also displayed additional generally careless and negligent driving behavior that caused the accident on Hampton Road in St. Louis City. Mr. Grammar refused medical treatment at the scene, but transported himself to St. Alexius Hospital in St. Louis City for treatment. Mr. Grammar arrived at the emergency room with pain and numbness in his legs, feet, shoulder and hands. After being advised of the need for future surgery and other continued medical expenses, a pre-trial settlement was reached with the defendant’s insurers for the policy limits of $100,000. - Client was awarded the policy limit of $100,000 in a premises liability case in which he suffered neck injuries due to a defective swimming pool.
- A woman who was injured in a rear-end collision was awarded $100,000 (the policy limit) for her soft tissue injuries.
- A car accident victim from Illinois was awarded the policy limit of $100,000.
- A truck accident victim was awarded the policy limit of $100,000 for his soft tissue injuries.
by Anna Vitale
Published: February 3rd, 2011
Two men who were molested as boys by former assistant U.S. Attorney Eric T. Tolen have received a more than $30 million judgment following a St. Louis County Circuit Court bench trial.
Tolen was convicted in September 2008 on multiple statutory sodomy counts of five minor boys, including the plaintiffs, "C.W." and "J.B." Tolen was sentenced to 65 years in prison.
C.W. and J.B. filed their assault and battery lawsuit against Tolen in January 2010. Judge Michael T. Jamison held a bench trial in September and entered an amended final judgment Jan. 28. Each plaintiff was awarded $14.5 million in compensatory damages and $520,000 in punitive damages.
The case is "C.W." and "J.B." v. Eric T. Tolen, 10SL-CC00169.
Tolen, who was disbarred by order of the Missouri Supreme Court in June, represented himself in the litigation. He is currently imprisoned at the Jefferson City Correctional Center.
The plaintiffs’ sole avenue of recovery leads to one Town & Country residential property and commercial properties potentially owned or formerly owned by Tolen, said C.W.’s attorney, Ryan Bradley, of The Bradley Law Firm in St. Louis.
Bradley has filed another lawsuit on behalf of C.W. and J.B. in St. Louis County Circuit Court targeting those assets. According to the lawsuit, Tolen transferred the Town & Country home to his mother following his criminal convictions, and Jeanette Tolen is listed as a defendant in the suit. She is representing herself. A reporter was told she had the wrong number when she called a number listed for Jeanette Tolen. No additional contact information could be located by press time.
In her answer to the lawsuit, Tolen claims the property was transferred in good faith and that the plaintiffs missed the one-year statute of limitations to file suit.
C.W. and J.B. claim that at the time Eric Tolen transferred the property, each had claims of an undetermined amount against him.
"I think the main issue in the next one is going to be whether or not [C.W. and J.B.] had creditor status to invoke the statute," Bradley said.
That case is C.W. and J.B. v. Jeanette Tolen and John Doe, 10SL-CC05011.
The Town & Country home, 12740 Post Oak Road, was appraised at $875,400 in 2010, according to the St. Louis County Department of Revenue. The last sale price for the home was $600,000 in 2000. Foreclosure auction public notices on the property have run three times in Missouri Lawyers Media newspapers, according to the MLM foreclosure database. Most recently, an auction was scheduled for Feb. 14, but the sale has been cancelled.
Christopher R. Dixon, of Page Law in St. Louis, represented J.B. in the original lawsuit. He asked to correspond via e-mail with a reporter about the case but did not send comments by press time.
by Rebecca Boyle
A complex insurance case involving policies in two states continues to unfold in two separate jurisdictions, while a bereaved family waits for a resolution.
The Adams family of Oregon County in southeastern Missouri won a $10.15 million judgment in August against a Louisiana man who caused a fatal car wreck, but attorneys continue to battle over insurance payments.
On Nov. 11, 2005, LaJena Adams was driving on Highway 63 near Thayer along with her two children, Landon and LaCrysta, when a truck driven by Timothy King of Covington, La., crossed the centerline. LaJena Adams was killed instantly. Landon, 8 at the time, suffered a traumatic brain injury and numerous broken bones; and LaCrysta suffered minor injuries.
Today, Landon uses a wheelchair and is unable to speak; the boy requires around-the-clock care, said the family’s attorney, Ryan Bradley.
King held a Louisiana insurance policy through USAA with liability limits of $10,000 per person and $20,000 per occurrence. That is below Missouri’s statutory requirement, making him technically an uninsured motorist under Missouri law. Bradley said this made the Adams family eligible for the $200,000 policy limits of their uninsured motorist coverage, held through Shelter Mutual Insurance Co.
Before widower David Adams tried to claim those funds, USAA liberalized its policy. Attorney Sam Spain, representing Shelter, explained that USAA’s policy contains an out-of-state provision. Its meaning is a matter of argument, but USAA’s position was that it means if a policyholder is in another state that has higher mandatory minimum insurance coverage, USAA provides that amount. Missouri’s statutory minimum is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per occurrence. As such, USAA offered that amount.
"USAA did exactly what it should have done, which is liberalize its policy in accordance with its own out-of-state policy," Spain said.
But Bradley suspected something more insidious. He said nothing in Missouri nor in Louisiana law required USAA to liberalize its insurance policy, and King’s low insurance limits meant the Adamses should be eligible to claim their uninsured motorist policy. The Adamses rejected USAA’s offer, but Shelter denied the Adamses’ claim. Bradley filed suit.
"My theory is they did it because they were in cahoots with Shelter to not pay out the additional $200,000," he said.
Later, Bradley suggested the Adamses file a separate lawsuit based on that theory, and they sued USAA and Shelter for tortious interference of contract and fraud. That case initially was dismissed, then appealed and sent back to the trial court in the city of St. Louis. Discovery is pending, Bradley said.
On the original case, as USAA offered the liberalized policy limits, Shelter and the Adamses sought summary judgment on the matter of whether King was an uninsured motorist. The trial court granted Shelter’s motion because of USAA’s liberalized offer. The Adamses appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Southern District and won; the case went to a bench trial Aug. 30, and the Adamses were awarded $10.15 million against King, as well as the policy limits of three separate uninsured motorist policies, totaling $200,000.
Shelter is appealing the judgment, Spain said. He said he felt for the family, but his position is that King was not uninsured.
"You have to feel sorry for the Adams family; it’s a horrible, horrible tragedy. I can’t imagine anything much worse than having your wife killed and your son catastrophically injured," he said. He added that he did not expect any evidence to surface that suggested a conspiracy between the two insurance firms.
Bradley said he is confident the judgment will stand.
"We battled these insurers for five years and beat them every single time. We are confident we can do it again," he said.
Motor vehicle collision
Our clients, Roxanne and Randy Wooten were severely injured when a reckless truck driver for Overnite Transportation Company rear ended then on Highway 55 in Sangamon County, just outside of Springfield, Illinois. Overnite’s driver crashed into the Wooten’s van at highway speeds, sending the van down the median where it overturned. Mr. Wooten was able to escape the wreckage, however, Roxanne was trapped for nearly one hour.
Mr. Wooten suffered injury to his spine. Mrs. Wooten sustained multiple rib fractures and a torn rotator cuff. Both were transported to Sangamon Medical Center in Springfield, Illinois following the crash.
The truck driver was issued a citation for violation of Illinois Revised Statute 625 ILCS 5/11-601 by the Illinois Highway Patrol. Our law firm alleged the tractor trailer driver was in violation of numerous Federal Motor Carrier Regulations as well as Illinois law, which contributed to cause this crash.
Our Illinois personal injury lawyers negotiated a pre-trial settlement for a confidential amount against both Overnite’s driver and Overnite Transporatation, which is now known as UPS.
These are just a few of our recent settlements. You, too, can be compensated for the injuries you have suffered due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing.
