Settlement Reached in North Carolina Woman’s Death

Moments before jury selection was set to begin, the parties involved in a wrongful death suit surrounding the demise of Charlotte, North Carolina resident Kay Plyer announced that a settlement had been reached.

In March 2008, Plyer was driving her personal vehicle home from a shopping trip with her teen daughter when a tree fell on the car. Plyer was crushed and killed in the incident, while her daughter sustained serious but non-fatal injuries.

The lawsuit that was brought in the case charged that city authorities had documented the tree’s decaying root system in the past and were aware of the potential danger to passing motorists.

Although the dollar amount of the settlement will remain confidential, attorneys for Plyer’s survivors say that the amount should be sufficient to help the victim’s daughter defray most of her college expenses.

Have unsafe conditions caused you or a loved one to experience pain and suffering? If so, we can help. Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

State of Maryland Target of Suit in Baltimore Bridge Crash

On August 10, 2008, truck driver John Short was forced to act quickly after a car veered into his lane from oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, Short over-corrected his tractor-trailer and crashed through the barrier of the bridge upon which he was driving at the time. Short and his vehicle plunged into the Chesapeake Bay below, where he ultimately drowned.

The lawsuit filed in the case claims that the State of Maryland bears the blame for several design flaws that created unsafe driving conditions on the bridge, including the permeability of the barrier that allowed Short’s truck to crash through. The driver of the car that veered into Short’s lane and caused the crash is also named in the lawsuit.

Have unsafe conditions put you or a loved one into harm’s way? If so, you need the advice of an experienced team of personal injury attorneys. Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

Des Moines Strip Club Death Case Goes to Jury

A wrongful death case brought against Midwest Hospitality Investments, a conglomerate that controls the Des Moines, Iowa exotic dance establishment, The Lumberyard, has moved into the jury selection phase. In 2006, 27-year-old Luca Pasa was stabbed to death in the club.

A subsequent wrongful death case brought by his girlfriend (also the mother of his 4-year-old son) contends that club personnel bore some of the responsibility for the attack, as they failed to confiscate a knife from Erik Gilge, the patron who murdered Pasa. Once the jury has been seated, lawyers expect for the presentation of the case to be concluded within several weeks’ time.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an attack, we can help you understand your legal options. Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

Florida Court Affirms $5.75 Million Settlement in Drowning Case

Several families vacationing in Florida on February 20, 1997, were struck by tragedy when powerful winds generated deadly rip currents, resulting in the drowning deaths of jazz guitarist and father Zachary Breaux and the 66-year-old woman he tried to rescue, Eugenie Poleyeff.

The wrongful death suits filed by both families after the incident contended that the area’s city-managed beaches should have been staffed with lifeguards who could have posted warning flags when water conditions grew dangerous. In a recent phase of the ten-year-long legal proceedings, a previously awarded verdict of $5.75 million was upheld in federal court. The case also impacted Florida’s beach safety procedures in a separate Supreme Court ruling.

Have you or your family been impacted by negligence on the part of a municipality or government agency? If so, we can help. Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.