Jury Verdicts And Settlements #1: Our Successes

Over the past 40 years Phillip Duncan, founder of Duncan Firm of Little Rock Arkansas, has established himself as a trial lawyer willing to stand up for the Davids, regardless of the Goliaths they’re going up against. Hyperbole? Certainly not, as our clients can attest to. Take a look at a few of Duncan Firm’s numerous major jury verdicts and settlements.

Large Truck Accident

A Lonoke County jury awarded $17 million to 23-year-old Ariel Anderson, who suffered a severe, traumatic brain injury after a collision in a construction zone. The jury found Weaver-Bailey Contractors liable for not exercising reasonable care for the safety of drivers. Ariel was on her way home from work when she was struck by a dump truck pulling out of the construction zone near Jacksonville, Arkansas. Duncan Firm successfully argued that construction contractors should make reasonable efforts to secure the safety of the traveling public. Hopefully, we can take what we learned from this terrible incident to compel construction companies to follow safety procedures and prevent accidents like this one from happening again.

Defective Products Liability

Johnny Washington and his son were traveling in Pine Bluff when their vehicle was struck by a driver who ran a stop sign. Their 1994 Ford Explorer rolled over, fatally injuring Johnny. We filed a complaint against Ford Motor Company for negligence, strict liability, failure to warn, and breach of warranties due to the Explorer’s unsafe design. The jury returned a verdict finding that Ford was a cause Johnny’s death, and awarded over $7 million in damages plus punitive damages against Ford for knowingly putting a dangerous product on the market.  The case was affirmed on appeal.

Train Accident

Johnny Morris was going about his normal duties when dispatched to clean wreckage at the local railroad crossing. On this particular day a Union Pacific train had hit a dump truck. Tragically Johnny’s head was caught in the train when the driver moved it without warning. Johnny’s skull was crushed, and he was permanently and severely injured. Phillip Duncan fought long and hard for Johnny, and after a two-week-long trial Johnny was awarded an $8 million jury verdict.  The case was settled after appeal.

Medical Malpractice

Cody Metheny had brain surgery at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. A year later, Cody’s parents learned, through investigation by the Duncan Firm, that brain tissue had actually been removed from both sides of Cody’s brain. It turned out that during the procedure, the physician and the hospital’s surgery team mistakenly operated on the wrong side of Cody’s brain, and then failed to tell the family of this mistake. The Methenys filed suit, alleging medical and administrative negligence on the part of the hospital, the surgeon, the hospital’s surgery team, and administration for the cover up. The jury returned a $20 million verdict in favor of the Metheny family which was paid, in part, by the insurance coverage, even after Children’s Hospital fought the verdict. The case was appealed by the insurance company and was affirmed for the full amount of insurance coverage ($11 million), plus $1 million from the surgeon and $500,000 from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Duncan firm has over 40 years of experience representing those in our Little Rock community, across Arkansas, and beyond. If you or a family member was involved in an accident and suffered significant injuries, please contact Duncan Firm as soon as possible. We can assess your case with no cost or obligation.