Hundreds of thousands of people a year are needlessly injured or killed by the negligence of others. At Watts Guerra, we have pursued negligent individuals and companies with a vengeance.
Far too often, the negligent operation of a motor vehicle causes unnecessary personal injuries and deaths on the roadway. Whether it be occupants of other vehicles, motorcycle riders, or pedestrians hit by vehicles, we are ready to prove who caused the accident. At Watts Guerra, we take care to carefully reconstruct these accidents. To assist our clients at trial, we use computers to animate what happened and how our clients were injured.
We represented a woman pro bono when her ex-boyfriend threw her off a second-floor balcony, and obtained a verdict in her favor exceeding $143 million. While a judgment was entered against the Defendant, no monies were collected from the defendant during his lengthy jail sentence; subsequently collections were not reduced by attorneys fees or expenses as the firm has waived all fees and expenses in this pro bono case.
When the negligent highway design and a speeding 18-wheeler combined to cause the death of a man working on a highway, the man’s widow hired Watts Guerra to find out why he died. Trying a case against three companies at once, the jury rendered a verdict against them in the amount of $12,450,000. Our attorney’s fees were $994,800, our litigation expenses were $365,838, and net client recoveries were $2,109,362.
Watts Guerra has recovered from a ski resort after its signs were left down, causing a man to crash and sustain catastrophic head injuries. We recovered for the family of a seven-year-old girl who died of smoke inhalation. We have successfully resolved cases arising from house fires, and from explosions at building structures. We recovered for a gas release causing a man to be badly burned following an explosion and fire. We recovered for the family of a woman killed when a concrete structure fell on her from above. We filed suit and settled a case for a man killed when he was knocked off a trailer, only to have a massive cylinder fall on him afterward. We’ve recovered from negligent bar owners whose servers have oversold alcohol. Whether it be accidents caused by negligence at construction sites, on the highway or in department stores, or by neglect in a nursing home, at a hospital, or in assisted living facilities, Watts Guerra is on guard for our clients against those who injure others through negligent conduct.
Our trial work in negligence cases is well-known throughout the nation. Our lawyers’ willingness to try any case anywhere is demonstrated by our work in a recent case we tried in Kentucky.
While we lost that particular case, we have won many others involving allegations of negligence by others. As a result, in miscellaneous cases alleging injuries or deaths to our clients were caused by the negligence of others, our recoveries exceed $203 million. Of these recoveries in miscellaneous negligence cases, total attorneys fees were $79,512,330, the litigation expenses withheld totaled $ 15,189,865, and net client recoveries were $ 108,933,367.
Case Type | Injury | Settlement Amount | Attorney Fees | Expenses | Net to Client |
Automotive/Pedestrian | Death | 530,000 | 212,000 | 66,371 | 251,629 |
Ski Resort Signage | Brain Injury | 9,990,000 | 3,996,000 | 816,601 | 5,177,399 |
Defective Lamp/Smoke Inhalation | Death | 8,800,000 | 3,520,000 | 125,400 | 5,154,600 |
Vehicle Crashworthiness | Burn Injury | 8,350,000 | 3,340,000 | 212,350 | 4,797,650 |
Natural Gas Leak | Death | 7,500,000 | 3,000,000 | 1,479,324 | 3,020,676 |
Cement Wall Failure | Death | 6,850,000 | 2,710,000 | 118,088 | 4,021,912 |
Construction Accident | Death | 6,240,000 | 2,306,251 | 100,513 | 3,833,236 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 5,900,000 | 2,300,000 | 492,371 | 3,107,629 |
Hot Water Heater | Burn Injury | 5,025,000 | 2,010,000 | 130,797 | 2,884,203 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 5,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 126,502 | 2,873,498 |
Premises Liability | Death | 4,500,000 | 1,760,000 | 16,716 | 2,723,284 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 4,000,000 | 1,595,200 | 170,064 | 2,234,736 |
Construction Accident | Brain Injury | 4,000,000 | 1,600,000 | 125,000 | 2,275,000 |
Medical Malpractice | Permanent Physical Injuries | 4,000,000 | 1,600,000 | 287,561 | 2,112,439 |
Bus Fire | Death | 2,707,513 | 1,083,005 | 134,550 | 1,489,958 |
Construction Accident | Death | 2,670,000 | 894,410 | 156,044 | 1,619,546 |
Asbestos | Cancer | 2,659,500 | 1,329,750 | 231,178 | 1,098,572 |
Workplace Accident | Burn Injury | 2,500,000 | 1,000,000 | 234,922 | 1,265,078 |
House Fire | Death | 2,280,907 | 901,671 | 25,091 | 1,354,145 |
Apartment Negligence – Balcony Collapse | Death | 2,250,000 | 900,000 | 20,063 | 1,329,937 |
Retail Store Negligence | Death | 2,100,000 | 840,000 | 231,078 | 1,028,922 |
Dram Shop | Amputation | 2,000,000 | 800,000 | 47,716 | 1,152,284 |
Workplace Accident | Quadriplegia | 2,000,000 | 900,000 | 24,670 | 1,075,330 |
Premises Negligence | Internal Injury | 1,950,000 | 780,000 | 54,713 | 1,115,287 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 1,950,000 | 780,000 | 64,262 | 1,105,738 |
Slip and Fall | Traumatic Head Injury | 1,850,000 | 740,000 | 22,500 | 1,087,500 |
Electrical House Fire | Death | 1,800,000 | 810,000 | 654,322 | 335,678 |
Commercial Vehicle Accident | Death | 1,795,833 | 598,611 | 103,675 | 1,093,547 |
Commercial Vehicle Accident | Death | 1,795,000 | 718,000 | 108,278 | 968,722 |
Automotive Accident | Quadriplegia | 1,750,000 | 700,000 | 60,310 | 989,690 |
Barge Operator | Death | 1,749,342 | 727,737 | 206,152 | 815,453 |
Pipeline Explosion | Burn Injury | 1,567,901 | 627,161 | 1,005 | 939,735 |
Medical Malpractice | Death | 1,500,000 | 600,000 | 50,867 | 849,133 |
Premises Liability | Death | 1,500,000 | 600,000 | 161,336 | 738,664 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 1,500,000 | 600,000 | 57,960 | 842,040 |
Workplace Accident | Leg, Foot, Ankle Fractures; Internal Organ Injuries; Forearm Fracture | 1,300,000 | 520,000 | 69,340 | 710,660 |
Automotive Accident | Closed Head Injury; Shoulder and Leg Fracture | 1,300,000 | 520,000 | 49,600 | 730,400 |
Defective Space Heater | Death | 1,250,000 | 500,000 | 78,750 | 671,250 |
Medical Malpractice | Death | 1,150,000 | 460,000 | 56,780 | 633,220 |
Workplace Accident | Death | 1,125,000 | 337,500 | 470,600 | 316,900 |
Medical Malpractice | Death | 1,100,000 | 337,500 | 290,430 | 472,070 |
Medical Malpractice | Permanent Physical Injuries | 1,080,000 | 432,000 | 90,030 | 557,970 |
Bus Accident | Brain Injury | 1,013,636 | 245,608 | 137,062 | 630,966 |
House Fire | Death | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 48,253 | 551,747 |
Automotive Accident | Closed Head Injury | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 7,134 | 592,866 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 39,288 | 560,712 |
Medical Malpractice | Permanent Physical Injuries | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 22,965 | 577,035 |
automotive/tire defect | Death | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 67,392 | 532,608 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 41,573 | 558,427 |
Medical Malpractice | Death | 1,000,000 | 420,000 | 323,638 | 256,362 |
tire failure | Death | 1,000,000 | 440,000 | 57,895 | 502,105 |
Commercial Vehicle Accident | Death | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 55,000 | 545,000 |
Automotive Accident | Femur and Wrist Injuries; Head Inury | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 18,765 | 581,235 |
Dram Shop | Death | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 50,320 | 549,680 |
Automotive Accident | Leg, Hip, Shoulder Injuries, Head Injury | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 30,809 | 569,191 |
Electrocution | Death | 1,000,000 | 434,250 | 36,949 | 528,801 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 1,000,000 | 400,000 | 46,360 | 553,640 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 1,200,000 | 344,000 | 6,011 | 849,989 |
Negligent Hiring | Fractured Skull; Brain Injury | 1,950,000 | 780,000 | 90,738 | 1,079,262 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 2,042,000 | 816,800 | 51,632 | 1,173,568 |
Automotive Accident | Death, Spinal Cord Injury | 1,500,000 | 600,000 | 129,803 | 770,197 |
Electrical Transfer Box | Burn Injury | 1,580,000 | 717,583 | 205,508 | 656,909 |
Devaluation of Property | Financial Loss | 995,000 | 398,000 | 140,210 | 456,790 |
Faulty Latch Mechanism | Death | 995,000 | 398,000 | 43,310 | 553,690 |
Vehicle Defect – Fuel Fed Fire | Death | 960,000 | 359,900 | 29,132 | 570,968 |
Vehicle Crashworthiness | Paraplegia | 950,000 | 380,000 | 98,145 | 471,855 |
Toxic Landfill | Internal Organ Damage | 950,000 | – | 516,192 | 433,808 |
Commercial Vehicle Accident | Lower Body Fractures | 935,000 | 374,000 | 5,093 | 555,907 |
Defective Roadway | Amputation; Lower Body | 930,000 | 418,500 | 271,561 | 239,939 |
Defective ATV | Fractures to Both Legs | 925,000 | 370,000 | 85,642 | 469,358 |
Hotel Neglect/drowning | Death | 925,000 | 358,898 | 77,839 | 488,263 |
Commercial Vehicle Accident | Lower Body Fractures | 640,500 | 156,923 | 122,928 | 360,649 |
Dram Shop | Death | 900,000 | 360,000 | 9,553 | 530,447 |
Automotive Accident | Lower Body Fractures | 900,000 | 360,000 | 142,728 | 397,272 |
Defective Roadway | Death | 875,000 | 350,000 | 127,064 | 397,936 |
Electrocution | Death | 1,750,000 | 700,000 | 60,693 | 989,307 |
Mold | Heart Failure; Interstitial Lung Disease | 868,000 | 289,345 | 281,765 | 296,890 |
Automotive Accident | Lower Body Fractures | 850,000 | 340,000 | 100,319 | 409,681 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 850,000 | 340,000 | 72,513 | 437,487 |
Utility Trailer Defect | Death | 850,000 | 253,492 | 321,908 | 274,600 |
Dram Shop | Death | 850,000 | 340,000 | 12,977 | 497,023 |
Product Defect | Brain Injury | 800,000 | 264,000 | 69,778 | 466,222 |
Aircraft Crash | Death | 786,608 | 176,564 | 96,103 | 513,941 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 775,000 | 308,333 | 108,720 | 357,947 |
Automotive Accident | Closed Head Injury; Fractured Ribs | 750,000 | 300,000 | 1,755 | 448,245 |
Automotive/Cyclist Accident | Death | 562,500 | 225,000 | 63,415 | 274,085 |
Motorcyle Accident – fire | Burn Injury | 750,000 | 300,000 | 48,071 | 401,929 |
Automotive Accident | Brain Damage | 795,000 | 308,000 | 50,083 | 436,917 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 750,000 | 300,000 | 21,583 | 428,417 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 750,000 | 295,000 | 32,362 | 422,638 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 750,000 | 252,256 | 340,058 | 157,686 |
Hotel Neglect | Paraplegia | 725,000 | 282,746 | 39,955 | 402,299 |
Automotive Accident | Internal Injury | 715,700 | 286,280 | 21,604 | 407,816 |
Automotive Accident | Spinal Cord Injury | 712,000 | 282,300 | 31,645 | 398,055 |
Automotive Accident | Internal Organ Damage | 710,000 | 284,000 | 40,260 | 385,740 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 700,000 | 231,667 | 5,000 | 463,333 |
Medical Malpractice | Death | 700,000 | 280,000 | 152,805 | 267,195 |
Automotive Accident | Fractures to Ribs; Chest Wall Injury | 700,000 | 189,000 | 10,093 | 500,907 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 700,000 | 165,334 | 347,666 | 187,000 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 700,000 | 258,667 | 27,795 | 413,538 |
Improperly Restrained in Ambulance | Death | 700,000 | 280,000 | 49,896 | 370,104 |
Automotive Accident | Traumatic Hemothorax | 695,000 | 267,575 | 94,885 | 332,540 |
Automotive Accident | Broken Hip; Facial Injuries | 657,000 | 262,337 | 112,393 | 282,270 |
Automotive Accident | Disfigurement; Head Injury | 650,000 | 260,000 | 85,000 | 305,000 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 650,000 | 260,000 | 30,230 | 359,770 |
Drowning | Death | 650,000 | 292,500 | 35,967 | 321,533 |
Medical Malpractice | Death | 650,000 | 260,000 | 79,916 | 310,084 |
Improper Medical Care | Brain Damage | 643,570 | 257,428 | 72,445 | 313,697 |
Improper Medical Care | Kidney Damage | 630,000 | 157,500 | 52,962 | 419,538 |
Automotive Accident | Lower Body Fractures | 625,000 | 250,000 | 112,360 | 262,640 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 620,030 | 206,596 | 93,471 | 319,963 |
Firearm | Death | 604,000 | 241,600 | 5,154 | 357,246 |
Automotive Accident | Closed Head Injury | 600,000 | 240,000 | 2,245 | 357,755 |
Dram Shop | Death | 600,000 | 240,000 | 25,398 | 334,602 |
Negligent Hiring | Physical/Mental Injury | 600,000 | 240,000 | 85,090 | 274,910 |
T-Post Snapped | Lower Body Fractures | 600,000 | 240,000 | 42,802 | 317,198 |
Oilfield Accident | Death | 600,000 | 180,480 | 160,800 | 258,720 |
Construction Accident | Chest Fracture; Collapsed Lungs | 576,407 | 247,855 | 59,141 | 269,411 |
Automotive Accident | Internal Injury | 565,000 | 226,000 | 30,292 | 308,708 |
Automotive Accident | Closed Head Injury | 550,000 | 247,500 | 4,217 | 298,283 |
Plumbing and Water Intrusion | House Damage – Mold | 640,562 | 220,000 | 25,000 | 395,562 |
Medical Malpractice | Punctured Femoral Artery | 555,000 | 222,000 | 60,411 | 272,589 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 550,000 | 162,400 | 16,356 | 371,244 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 550,000 | 173,541 | 86,719 | 289,740 |
Automotive Accident | Disfigurement, Hip Injury | 525,053 | 177,576 | 47,025 | 300,452 |
Automotive Accident | Death | 950,000 | 380,000 | 58,858 | 511,142 |
Automotive Accident | Spinal Cord Impingement | 997,000 | 398,800 | 67,197 | 531,003 |
Automotive Accident | Broken Pelvis | 520,000 | 199,400 | 74,337 | 246,263 |
Settlement Amount | Attorney Fees | Expenses | Net to Client | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 203,635,562 | 79,512,330 | 15,189,865 | 108,933,367 |