Tag Archives: Wrongful Death

Wrongful Death Case

Types Of Compensation In Wrongful Death Cases

Families are almost always completely blindsided by fatal accidents. The death of a loved one due to the negligence of another is extremely frustrating. Families will often suffer emotionally and financially for a long time after the accident. While no amount of money can replace a loved one, obtaining compensation from a wrongful death lawsuit can help make sure the victim’s family isn’t left with any financial burdens.

Types of Compensation In Wrongful Death Cases

There are several kinds of potential compensation in wrongful death cases. Some of the most common forms of compensation awarded to the victim’s survivors include:

  • Medical Expenses – Most of the time after an accident, the victim will receive some type of emergency medical treatment before passing away. In some cases, the victim might survive for days or even weeks before passing way. Family members can seek compensation for all medical expenses incurred from the moment of the accident to the victim’s death.
  • Pain and Suffering – When victims survive an accident for some time before passing away, this often involves a significant amount of physical and mental pain and suffering. Family members can pursue compensation for their loved one’s pain and suffering before death.
  • Funeral and Burial Expenses – Even inexpensive funerals can cost several thousands dollars. If a negligent party caused a fatal accident, the victim’s family and loved ones have a right to seek compensation for costs related to the burial.
  • Lost Wages and Loss of Financial Support – If the victim of a fatal accident was the breadwinner, the surviving family will continue to suffer economic hardship. However, families can seek compensation for lost wages their loved one would have received had he or she not been killed in an accident.
  • Loss of Consortium – This type of compensation is designed to address the loss of love and companionship suffered by remaining family members. Loss of consortium can be significant for spouses and children.
  • Punitive Damages – These damages are levied in order to punish the negligent party that caused the accident.

Get Help With Your Wrongful Death Case

At The Glisson Law Firm, we understand how difficult overcoming the loss of a loved one can be. We work patiently with our clients to make sure they understand their legal rights and the steps needed to obtain compensation. If your loved one was killed in an accident, whether on the job or while visiting another’s property, don’t wait to call us to discuss your wrongful death case in a free consultation.

flipped car shown from lawsuit where Jerseyville, Illinois Family Files Suit In Wrongful Death Action

Jerseyville, Illinois Family Files Suit In Wrongful Death Action

flipped car shown from lawsuit where Jerseyville, Illinois Family Files Suit In Wrongful Death ActionOn February 25, 2009 a Jerseyville, Illinois man was on his way to work when he was killed in a tragic accident involving a drunk driver, who was also killed in the accident. According to Illinois State Police, the drunk driver, age 32, crossed the center line and struck and killed the victim, age 55, on Route 3 near Godfrey, Illinois in Madison County. The victim was survived by his spouse and two children.

On July 22, 2009, the family filed suit against the estate of the drunk driver in Madison County, Illinois. The suit was filed pursuant to the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, and seeks damages including loss of support and loss of love, affection, guidance of a spouse and father. The lawsuit was filed by the Alton attorney Michael Glisson, of the law firm WWF&G.

The law firm of WWF&G are aggressive advocates for victims of drunk driving incidents. If you or your family has been injured by a drunk driver, please contact our firm for a free consultation at 618-462-1077 or visit our website.

gavel used in case from Jersey County Illinois Jury Renders Wrongful Death Verdict

Jersey County Illinois Jury Renders Wrongful Death Verdict

gavel used in case from Jersey County Illinois Jury Renders Wrongful Death VerdictA Jersey County Illinois jury has awarded more than a half-million dollars to the family of a woman killed in a 2007 drunken driving incident. The jury returned the $549,954.11 verdict after a two-day civil trial on November 18, 2009, in Jersey County Circuit Court, with Judge Eric Pistorius presiding.

Jerica Klocke, 19, of Batchtown, died following a motorcycle accident in 2007. She had been a passenger on a motorcycle driven by Donald Adcock, 24, of Carrollton, who was pronounced dead at the scene by Jersey County Coroner Larry Alexander. Klocke was flown from the scene to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, where she died at 2:56 p.m. the same day.

A summary read to the jury by Circuit Court Judge Pistorious stated that the plaintiffs, the family of Jerica Klocke, brought the claim pursuant to the Dramshop Act. The plaintiff claimed that Adcock consumed alcohol at both Thirsty’s Tavern and at Bawana’s Nutwood Tavern and became intoxicated as a result of the alcohol he consumed and that his intoxication was one of the causes of Klocke’s death. The defendants had denied liability in Klocke’s death.

At the time of the accident, Thirsty’s Tavern Inc. was owned by Donald Adcock and his father, Roger. Bawana’s Nutwood Tavern, was owned by Stephen Wilson. (Wilson was named individually in the suit, but Roger Adcock was not).

According to Klocke family attorney Mike Glisson, of Williamson, Webster, Falb & Glisson, of Alton, Klocke’s grandmother had died the Friday evening before the motorcycle wreck. Jerica Klocke went to be with a girlfriend. The girlfriend arranged for Jerica to ride on a motorcycle driven by Adcock, who did not appear to be intoxicated, according to several witnesses, but whose toxicological report revealed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent at the time of his death. The legal limit in Illinois is 0.08. Jerica Klocke’s toxicological report revealed no alcohol.

Testimony revealed that Adcock lost control of his motorcycle, leaving a skid mark of 177 feet as he approached the intersection of Reddish Road and Dunham Road.

Forensic toxicologist Dr. Chris Long, of Saint Louis University, testified that while witnesses testified that Adcock did not appear impaired he would have to have been. The 0.15 level would have impaired his depth perception, balance on the motorcycle and reasoning, he said.

After deliberating for three hours, the jury returned a verdict Wednesday, ruling in favor of the plaintiffs and against Thirsty’s Tavern, but not Bawana’s, apparently determining that the intoxication had taken place at Thirsty’s.

The jury awarded $500,000 in loss of relationship and $49,954.11 for medical and funeral bills, the exact amount requested by Plaintiffs in closing arguments by family attorney Mike Glisson. The verdict is one of the biggest verdicts recorded in Jersey County.

Mike Glisson and the law firm of WWF&G represent numerous families that are victims of alcohol related accidents. This case was filed immediately and prosecuted to the extent provided by law, which needs to be done with dramshop cases, and all wrongful death cases. If you or a friend or family member has been injured in an alcohol related claim, please contact WWF&G for a free consultation at 1-800-WWFGLAW or 618-462-1077. All partners are licensed in Illinois and Missouri.

Body Found Behind North County Bar In St. Louis

Early Thursday morning, Ameren UE workers discovered a woman’s body in the parking lot of a North Saint Louis bar. The woman has been identified as Stephanie Caroll, 42, a resident of the area. The workers discovered the body around 8:45 a.m. and immediately called the police.

The parking lot is located at 4960 Parker Road, next to a an establishment called Meyer’s Country Cottage and Irish Pub. Investigators said there was no obvious cause of death but police are classifying it as a suspicious incident. An autopsy is currently being performed to determine the cause of death and piece together the night’s incidents.

If someone you know has been the victim of a suspicious or wrongful death, please do not hesitate to contact WWF&G for a free consultation at 1-800-WWFGLAW.

pills from lawsuit in st clair county Illinois Pfizer lawsuit

Woman Wins Settlement from LA Weight Loss in Wrongful Death Suit

pills from lawsuit in st clair county Illinois Pfizer lawsuitIn 2004, Pamela Hoppe, a Granite City Illinois resident, became an LA Weight Loss client. The center-based weight loss system distributed supplements to Hoppe as part of their weight loss program. However, after following the program for three months, she began to experience symptoms of liver failure.

By August of 2004, Hoppe was rushed to a local hospital with jaundice, nausea and abdominal fullness. She was immediately transferred to St. Louis University Hospital, where she was diagnosed with liver failure. Almost exactly four months after beginning her LA Weight Loss program, Hoppe died while waiting for a liver transplant.

In 2005, Hoppe’s sister, Carolyn Schur filed a suit against the weight loss center. As the administrator of her sister’s estate and legal guardian of the daughter she left behind, Schur sued LA Weight Loss for negligence, wrongful death, and other charges, claiming they neglected to properly test the supplements and failed to warn clients of their health risks. Now, nearly five years since the suit was filed, LA Weight Loss settled with Schur for $700,000.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for supervising the safety of food and medicine, including diet pills. Many weight loss supplements have not been approved by the FDA, in fact, their website contains a constant list of warnings against both specific diet pills and commonly used ingredients.

If you or someone you know has had your health affected by a dietary supplement, please do not hesitate to contact the law firm of WWF&G at 1-800-WWFGLAW or 618-567-8030 for a free consultation. The law firm of WWF&G handles numerous cases involving product liability, and acts aggressively for its clients.

Overland Policeman Charged After Pushing Man Down Stairs

An Overland officer has been charged with one count of first-degree involuntary manslaughter based on his involvement in a confrontation that left one man dead as a result of being pushed down a flight of stairs. Ken Hamilton, 49, suffered from a head injury after being pushed down a set of stairs on March 20. On March 25, Hamilton died in a St. Louis hospital after spending several days on life support.

The officer, Andrew Thomas Ringeisen, came to Hamilton’s duplex after receiving a road rage complaint citing a vehicle whose description matched Hamilton’s Jeep. Ringeisen and other officers arrived at the 2600 block of West Milton Avenue sometime close to 11 p.m. While the Overland Police Department is not providing details the exact sequence of events, they told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that no guns or Tasers were used during the officer’s interactions with Hamilton.

Hamilton was found by his brother, Joe Hamilton, after he heard noise coming from the staircase. When he arrived at the scene of the accident, Joe Hamilton found his brother laying on the ground and no signs of the officers. The accident is undergoing continued investigation by the St. Louis County Police department at the request of the Overland Police chief.

If have been the victim of wrongful injury or know someone who has been the victim of a wrongful death, WWF&G can help. If someone you know has been a victim of an accident or wrongful death, please contact the law firm of WWF&G at 1-800-WWFGLAW or on our website, www.glissonlaw.com.

St. Louis Family Sues Over Fatally Injured Pedestrian

Last Wednesday, the family of a pedestrian who was fatally injured last year took their case to court. On September 14, 2009, 83-year-old Lionel Speidel was crossing the street when a car struck him. The car, a Pontiac Grand Am, was being driven by a 17-year-old when the accident occurred at the 3800 block of Virginia Avenue, less than a block away from the teen’s home.

Investigators later learned that the teen had been under the influence of marijuana at the time of the accident and he was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Speidel later died in a nearby hospital. Recently, his daughters have taken on the driver and his family, filing a wrongful death suit seeking more than $50,000.

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), in 2008 there were 33 fatal crashes involving pedestrians in the state of Missouri and 178 crashes that resulted in injury. WWF&G has years of experience handling wrongful death and accident cases. If you or someone you know has been involved in a pedestrian accident, please contact the law firm of WWF&G at 1-800-WWFGLAW or on our website, www.glissonlaw.com.

Missouri Parents Continue Lawsuit Against Baseball Team After Daughter’s Death

A Missouri family is in court once again after their daughter’s death in 2003 while climbing a rock wall. Christine Ewing, 22, was climbing a wall at a Mid-Missouri Mavericks minor league baseball game in Columbia, MO when a safety cable broke. Ewing fell 20 feet onto asphalt. Police later discovered that the cable was not only rusty, but was frayed and held together with duck tape.

The owner of the wall, Marcus Floyd, was tried for involuntary manslaughter after the incident but ended up pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault. Ewing’s parents sued Floyd in 2004 in a wrongful death suit that resulted in a $700,000 award. However, now the Ewings claim that the Mid-Missouri Mavericks hold some liability for letting Floyd allow the cord to fall into disrepair.

In 2005, another judge held a hearing that found the Maverick’s organization responsible for Ewing’s death. At the time of the hearing, the judge ruled that the team’s insurance companies owed $4.58 million in damages. Currently, the case has been re-opened to debate the amount owed by the team. While no verdict has been reached, the court is expected to come to a conclusion within the next 90 days.

The lawyers of WWF&G are aggressive advocates for the families of wrongful death victims. If you feel that a loved one may have been involved in a wrongful death, please call 1-800-WWFGLAW for a free consultation.

beach representing drowning from Holiday Shores Illinois Drowning Death Leads to Wrongful Death Suit

Holiday Shores Illinois Drowning Death Leads to Wrongful Death Suit

beach representing drowning from Holiday Shores Illinois Drowning Death Leads to Wrongful Death SuitThe family of a drowning victim has alleged that negligence on the part of Holiday Shores and its lifeguards led to the drowning and death of a man swimming in the lake with his family.

On a late summer afternoon, a man began coughing and struggling to swim in the lake. Other people in the lake began screaming, alerting the lifeguard about the man’s struggle, but it is alleged the lifeguard did not respond in time. Witnesses saw the lifeguard using her cell for texting or internet use throughout the day. Despite making several dives to attempt finding the body, the man was not found for more than an hour.

The lawsuit has revealed that the lifeguard sent and received more than 200 text messages on the day of the incident, including several messages in the minutes leading up to the drowning incident.

Represented by WWFG attorney Michael P. Glisson, the family has filed a suit against Holiday Shores with three counts, including wrongful death, survival act and family expense act. The case is expected to go to trial in 12-18 months.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3,443 people died in fatal unintentional drownings in 2007.

The attorneys from the law offices of Williamson, Webster, Falb and Glisson assist family members damaged as a result of wrongful death cases. If you or a family member are victims of a tragic case, please do not hesititate to contact our firm for a free consultation.

St. Louis Missouri Driver Sued for Wrongful Death After Auto Accident

phone used in wreckless driving in St. Louis where Missouri Driver Sued for Wrongful Death After Auto AccidentA St. Louis County resident from Ballwin, Missouri stands accused of killing a pedestrian due to reckless driving. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed at St. Louis County Circuit Court to remedy the suffering caused by the fatal driving accident.

The defendant hit and killed a man walking across Manchester Road in Ellisville, Missouri. The pedestrian was from a Chicago, Illinois suburb. According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch court brief, the driver was using her cellphone, which prevented her from taking proper safety precautions and observing all the rules of the road. In addition, the plaintiffs have accused the defendant of driving too quickly to stop in time. The incident occurred in December of 2009.

The Missouri Department of Transportation reports that 37 pedestrians were fatally injured in 2009. 113 fatalities on Missouri roads were caused by inattention, and exceeding the speed limit caused an additional 75 deaths.

The attorneys from the law offices of WWF&G handle wrongful death and auto accident cases on a regular basis. One of our successful pedestrian death cases resulted in a $1 million award for our client in a disputed claim.

WWF&G offers free consultations and will not charge you fees unless you receive a recovery. Our firm has the resources and trial network to give you and your family confidence during a difficult time.