Practices
Litigation
Catastrophic Injury

Catastrophic Injury

Experience and results matter. Our team’s results speak for themselves and include many multi-million recoveries obtained in settlements, jury verdicts, and arbitrations. However, in addition to our results, we pride ourselves on the personalized customer service we provide to our clients while we handle their case.

At Shipman, we litigate cases involving catastrophic personal injury and/or death in both federal and state courts. From simple motor vehicle accidents to complex product-related injuries, our lawyers represent the interests of individuals and their families who have suffered life-altering injuries or death. Our team handle cases involving death, physical disfigurement, loss of or limitation to bodily functions, paralysis, traumatic brain injury, amputation, sexual abuse and burn injuries. We handle cases based on a contingency fee, so we do not get a fee unless we win. (Costs are not contingent upon the outcome of a case.) Initial consultations are free.

Our lawyers use case management technology and trial presentation software for trial work, and have access to an array of technical and medical experts to help make a client’s case. Our lawyers are adjunct professors at law schools and teach other lawyers at trial advocacy seminars.

We also have prior experience defending and evaluating catastrophic injury and death cases for many of the nation’s leading corporations, firms and insurers. Our firm’s defense experience gives our plaintiff’s team perspective that helps produce better results for our clients. Many of our cases come to our team as a result of referrals from other lawyers.

The team’s lawyers are proud of the results they have achieved for clients, which include a number of verdicts and settlements over $1,000,000*. Each lawyer in the group is a member of The Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a voluntary membership organization that admits only attorneys who have won million-dollar verdicts or settlements; fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members. Each lawyer in the group has also been selected as a Connecticut Super Lawyer® every year for the past decade. Each lawyer has also been listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Shipman is ranked Tier 1 by U.S. News and World Report and Best Lawyers as a Best Law Firm in Personal Injury Litigation.

* Please note that prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in other matters or cases, as each case has a unique set of facts and circumstances.

Experience

General

Settlements Reached in Crash of B-17 Bomber at Bradley International Airport

After mediation before retired Judge Robert Holzberg of Pullman & Comley LLC, The Collings Foundation, Debra A. Riddell, Craig A. Rubner, Scott Rubner, Joseph M. Roberts, Joseph Huber, Jenny Huber, Thomas Schmidt, Linda Schmidt, and Joan Mazzone announce the resolution of all claims arising out of the tragic crash of the B-17 known as Nine-O-Nine at Bradley International Airport on October 2, 2019. While it is our sincere hope that this resolution brings peace and closure to those affected, The Collings Foundation deeply regrets the injuries and losses suffered by the passengers and their families that day. Shipman lawyers Bill Ronalter and Mark Ostrowski represented eight of the ten victims of the crash.

$36,500,000 ARBITRATION AWARD - Defective Product - Catastrophic Burns to 3 Year Old Boy and 33 Year Old Father

Our clients, a 3-year-old boy and his 33-year-old father, suffered third degree burns to over 70% and 50% of their bodies respectively and we argued that a lithium ion battery exploded from an electronic device. We brought claims against the product assembler, distributor, and seller. After three unsuccessful mediations and more than 50 depositions, the claims were presented to an arbitration panel. The result of the arbitration was a gross recovery of $36,500,000 for our clients.

$5,025,850 SETTLEMENT & ARBITRATION - Defective Product - Catastrophic Burns

Our client, a 63 year old man, suffered third degree burns to 40% of his body when a defective product exploded during a social event. We brought claims against the product manufacturers, a large national retailer, and a third party consumer who used the product. After preparing a multi-media presentation, the claims against the various defendants were settled following an arbitration and mediation for a combined amount of $5,025,850.

$5,000,000 SETTLEMENT - Truck Strikes Cyclist - Leg Amputation

We represented the employee of a longstanding corporate client, who was sideswiped by a truck when he was riding his bicycle home from work. Initially, the truck driver told the cops our client was on his phone, no witnesses to the crash were identified, and we did not know if our comatose client would live and/or remember how the crash occurred. We got our client’s phone records (through his employer) and proved he wasn’t on his phone. Our accident reconstruction expert inspected the scene and the evidence, and we taught the detective the specific state statutes that protect cyclists. We requested the 911 dispatch tapes and learned that there were witnesses to the aftermath of the crash that called 911 reporting that the truck driver was attempting to leave the scene. We later learned that the truck driver lied to the cops and used another name at the scene of the crash because he was in the United States illegally. Unfortunately, due to the extent of the injury to his left leg, our client had his leg amputated above the knee approximately a month after the crash. We gave the insurance carrier an opportunity to settle the case as we drafted the Complaint to commence the lawsuit explaining that if they did not offer their $5,000,000 limits, we expected a verdict over the coverage when the case was tried. The carrier responded by offering its $5,000,000 policy limits available for this loss, which will give the client financial security as he starts the next chapter of his life.

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