Personal Injury News: Pick Of Last Month: July-2021
Veterans in Kansas VA Abuse Case to Get $7M From US Govt.
The U.S. government has agreed to a settlement of $7 million to eight veterans who faced sexual abuse by a former physician assistant. These veterans who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan raised an allegation that they were subjected to unnecessary genital exams by a physician assistant at the VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, between 2008 and 2014.
Around 100 veterans have sued the former physician assistant of Veterans Affairs hospital in Kansas. The US government settled the sexual abuse lawsuits for 80 veterans for $6.7 million in the year 2019.
The physician assistant of the Veterans hospital got an Aggravated sexual battery in 2017 and was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment. Kansas Board of Healing Arts in February 2015 had already taken away the license of the accused physician.
The attorney who represented the veterans in the latest cases stated that plaintiffs got the treatment like dirt. He further added that these veterans were questioned over their character by the Department of Justice in court.
The government argued in the lawsuit that abuse charges by veterans were not liable as physician assistant sexual conduct occurred outside the scope of his employment.
The eight veterans will receive from the U.S. Govt between $706,250 to $1.4 million. The latest settlements came after the cases were taken to trial by three of the veterans. The attorney representing the veterans also stated that the government agreed to put down its appeals in those cases.
Boeing 737 Air Crash Victims to Get $500 Million Relief
The relatives, heirs, passengers and beneficiaries of passengers who died in Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines ET 302 on March 10, 2019 will get compensated by Boeing company. Around relatives of 346 people killed in two fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes will get the relief amount of $500 million as part of the first settlement.
Each family affected by the Boeing 737 Max crash will get almost a $1.45-million relief amount. Families and heirs of the victims have to complete the claim form by October 15 to get the relief amount.
This fund is a part of a $2.5-billion Justice Department settlement reached in January with Boeing. The prosecutors charged Boeing for fraud in the certification of the 737 Max.
The settlement permitted Boeing to keep away from criminal indictment yet didn't affect common cases by casualties' family members that proceed.
Boeing has covered settlement for almost all claims filed in Lion Air lawsuits. However, it faces various claims in Chicago federal court filed by families of the Ethiopian crash inquiring as to why the MAX kept flying after the major incident in 2019.
The Department of Justice settlement incorporates a fine of $243.6-million and remuneration to aircraft of $1.77-billion over fraud conspiration charges identified with the plane's imperfect design plan.
The Justice Department stated in January that Boeing's workers picked the profit path over genuineness. There was an effort to disguise the material data from the FAA concerning the activity of its 737 Max plane.
Congress requested a significant redesign of how the FAA confirms new planes in December and coordinated a free audit of Boeing's safety culture.
Family of Black Man Files $30M Suit Over Deputies’ Shooting
On April 21, 2021, an unarmed black man was shot dead by Pasquotank County sheriff's deputies. The family of the black man filed a $30 million civil rights lawsuit. They claim that officers who have filed drug-related warrants at the black man Elizabeth City home shot him intentionally and recklessly.
The deputies surrounded the black man's BMW car when he was trying to move away from them. They started firing into his vehicle when a bullet hit him at the back of his head that led to his death.
Lawyers representing the black man’s family states that the shooting was unjustified as he was trying to drive away and not towards the deputies. One of the attorneys representing the black man said in a news conference that it was easy to draft a lawsuit in this case as anybody can say that it was an unlawful killing.
The paternal aunt of the black man, who is the administrator of his estate, has filed the lawsuit U.S. District Court. The lawsuit also says that the 42 year old man was the father of seven children.
The attorney representing Pasquotank County Sheriff and other deputies cleared them in May, stating that the black man had struck a deputy with his car and he was using it as a deadly weapon. The black man also nearly ran over them by ignoring the officers' command to move out of the vehicle and surrender to them.
The black man civil rights lawsuit has angered the people in northeastern North Carolina. Residents have been protesting for the past 85 days. One of the deputies who shot at the black man's car has also resigned from his post. The FBI has also filed a Civil rights investigation in this case.
Earlier in a similar lawsuit, the family of a man who was shot by police in Louisiana has agreed to receive a $4.5 million settlement after five years of his death.
The deceased man was a 37-year-old father of five who got killed on July 5, 2016, outside a convenience store by Baton Rouge police officers. The man's death resulted in nationwide protests. Attorneys for the man sued the city, its police department and former police chief, and the two officers for the incident.
The officer who shot the man was fired in March 2018. Another officer was suspended for three days who wrestled the deceased to the ground.
The lawyers of the family said that the settlement would provide financial stability to the man's family. Earlier, three settlement offers were rejected by East Baton Rouge Metro Council, and the final agreement was approved in February.
The family has even alleged that the shooting was a part of racist behavior and excessive force by Baton Rouge police. The Mayor of the city said that the settlement is important for the community and will also ensure that no such offense takes place with any other family in Baton.
East Baton Rouge Parish’s insurance reserve funds will be used to pay $1 million to the deceased children, whereas the remaining money will be paid in installments from the annual operating budget over the next four years.
Yale Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Settled
A jury awarded a settlement in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by six women doctors of Yale University against a male physician at the Ivy League school.
The accused is a former anesthesiologist and professor at Yale University who lost his job due to the allegations. The lawyers for the school and the accused denied the allegations. The accused mentioned in a document that his career, reputation, health, and wellness are affected because of the lawsuit.
As per the court documents, several female doctors alleged that the accused sexually molested them by touching them inappropriately against their will on several occasions in 2019. The women even alleged that the defendant behaved indecently with an intoxicated female resident at a party.
The lawsuits even mention that the accused would make inappropriate comments on the women's bodies and would make false claims of poor job performance if they would oppose him.
The lawsuit blames Yale and Yale New Haven Hospital for not taking stricter action on the sexual harassment complaints against male doctors, as both the organizations have a history of turning a blind eye toward such incidents.
The lawsuit will bring justice to the women against the culprit and people who supported the misconduct.
$1.25M Settlement In A Fatal North Carolina Crash
The estate of a woman killed in a January crash involving a deputy will get a $1.25 million settlement, approved by the Johnston County commissioners.
As per the court documents, the accident took place on January 9 when the deputy was responding to a call and was driving on the U.S. Highway 301 with his blue lights and siren on. He passed the traffic line on the left when the woman was turning left from the highway onto Watson Road, and this resulted in the crash.
The woman died instantly at the scene, and the deputy was rushed to a nearby hospital for the treatment of his serious injuries. The deputy was imposed with death charges and unsafe passing of the vehicle. The data analysis provided by the attorneys states that the patrol car of the deputy was at the speed of 110 mph in a 45-mph zone near North Johnston High School at the time of the crash.
Even though the family of the woman did not file a lawsuit against the deputy, the county officials and insurers have agreed to settle the claims without any obligation. The plaintiff's attorney said that the family is in shock after the woman's death.
Earlier, a federal jury awarded $16.5 million to a woman who lost two young daughters in a fiery car crash.
As per the court documents, the woman was driving a minivan around a winding stretch of N. Sunrise Boulevard on Camano Island’s northeast corner. Her daughters were seated in the back seat of the car. Her car slipped on an ice patch, which resulted in her car crashing into the trees and eventually caught fire. A passerby managed to get the woman out of the car but was not able to save her daughters. The crash resulted in severe injuries, severe burns on the face and legs, and broken bones of the woman.
The place where the accident took place has a brief history of such mishaps. The 'S' curve at the place of accident is the main reason for repetitive catastrophes.
The woman will get $16 million from the Island County and even the man who pulled her out of the car will be rewarded $500,000. The money will provide the woman with financial relief as the woman is not able to attend work due to the injuries and even her husband has to stay at home to look after her. The money will help the couple to buy a new house, raise their son and cover up the medical expenses of the woman.
$150M For Victims Of Florida Condo Collapse
A Florida judge has announced a $150 million settlement for the victims and families who suffered losses because of the collapse of a 12-story oceanfront condominium.
The settlement will not only provide benefits for the condo owners but even the visitors and people staying on rent will get the compensation. The incident took place on June 24, killing 97 people and resulting in several lawsuits. The lawsuits are being consolidated in a single class action to cover all the victims.
As per the reports, 97 victims of the collapse have been identified using DNA analysis. Two victims were unidentified, but later, the name of one of them was revealed. The debris at the site of the tragedy has been cleared, and the investigation is still in process.
The victims included a Canadian lady who was visiting her friend residing in the condo. Her family was in much agony and rushed from Canada as soon as they heard about the mishap.
Three years earlier, an engineer warned about the serious structural issues of the condo. The building was undergoing a 40-year recertification process when it collapsed.
The owners of the condo have different opinions on the rebuilding of the condo. Some of the owners want a memorial to be built at the site to honor the people who died in the collapse. Some owners want a complete rebuilding of the condo so that they can move back in, and some want to combine both options.