Client: Gustavo Villoldo and Alfredo Villoldo Attorneys: Jeremy Alters Practice Area: Catastrophic Loss – Wrongful Death
Description:
On May 29, 2009, Miami-Dade Judge Peter Adrien awarded $1.179 billion to two Cuban brothers, Gustavo and Alfredo Villoldo, to pay damages for the wrongful death of their father, Cuban businessman Gustavo Villoldo Argilagos. The judge found the defendants, Fidel Castro Ruz, Raul Castro Ruz, Ernesto “Che Guevara” Guevara, the Cuban Ministry of Interior, the Army of the Republic of Cuba, and the Republic of Cuba, guilty of inflicting intentional emotional distress upon Villoldo Argilagos, ultimately causing him to commit suicide.
Client: Minor Sunbather Attorney: Jeremy Alters Practice Area: Catastrophic Loss – Wrongful Death
Description:
On June 20, 2000, Minor Sunbather was sunbathing on the beach at Anastasia State Recreation Park when her head was run over by a red Toyota sport utility vehicle. The force of the vehicle striking her head was such that her body rotated and her head was degloved by the vehicle’s tires. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene and was later charged with the accident when his vehicle was spotted on the same beach two days after the incident. The driver claimed that he wasn’t aware that he had run over anyone. His insurance company was on notice of the accident and they failed to tender the minimal policy limits in a timely manner.
Client: Jane Doe, individually and as parent and natural Guardian of her daughter, a minor Attorney: Jeremy Alters Practice Area: Catastrophic Loss – Wrongful Death
Description:
On March 24, 2000, Plaintiff went to a meeting at the Social Security Offices in Pinellas County. She took her young daughter with her. The child had a heart condition and at the time of the incident, had a tracheotomy which was to be reversed in the near future. While at the meeting, Plaintiff heard her daughter start to gurgle. She reacted as she was trained to do and she started to suction the trach tube. When that didn’t work, she tried saline bullets but the plug would not come out. She went into her diaper bag to get the spare trach which was always in the diaper bag but it wasn’t there. A panic alarm was set off and paramedics called but unfortunately the baby sustained severe brain injury as a result of the loss of oxygen. The Contract Nursing Company's nurses were assigned to care for Jaceia. One of their duties was to prepare her diaper bag with everything she needed in case of an emergency, including a spare trach. The nurse that was on call the night before the incident, had removed the trach from the diaper bag and failed to replace it.
Client: Cruise Line Crew Member Attorneys: David Rash, Jeremy Alters Practice Area: Admiralty - Maritime
Description:
On March 26, 2005 Cruise Line Crew Member was employed by XYZ Cruise Lines as a seaman. On that date, Plaintiff collapsed on board. He was mistakenly thought to have been intoxicated. Even though an emergency call was placed, he was not treated as such by the doctors employed by XYZ Cruise Lines.
Client: Hodgkin's Patient Attorney: Jeremy Alters Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
Description:
Plaintiff had been treating and receiving follow up care from a hematologist since 1995 for his previously diagnosed Hodgkin’s disease and continued to do so through May of 2000. During that time, Plaintiff developed squamous cell carcinoma in his left tonsil and neck. The hematologist failed to diagnose Plaintiff's cancer in a timely manner which resulted in a substantial delay in diagnosis and treatment.
Client: Railroad Engineer Attorney: David Rash Practice Area: Railroad
Description:
On November 6, 2005, Plaintiff, a Railroad Engineer, was in the scope and course of his employment with the Railroad Company when a defective coolant hose exploded, scalding him with hot fluid and knocking him off the engine walkway to the ballast and railway line below. Serving as Local Counsel for a nationally recognized firm from St. Louis, MO, AABRC alleged the Railroad Company violated the Federal Locomotive Inspection Act by not maintaining its engine properly and failed to provide the Railroad Engineer with a safe workplace. Plaintiff could not work as a locomotive engineer anymore as a result of his injuries. The Railroad Company argued that Plaintiff exaggerated his injuries and was not forthright about pre-existing conditions, such as injuries to his shoulder. The Railroad Company obtained numerous hours of surveillance video of Plaintiff, but was unable to establish any of its claims of exaggeration or lack of honesty. The Railroad Company argued Plaintiff had recovered sufficiently and had good employment prospects.
Client: Vehicle Driver Attorney: Jeremy Alters Practice Area: Trucking - Catastrophic Automotive Accidents
Description:
On February 8, 2002, at approximately 6:45 A.M., 36 year old Plaintiff was driving north in his car on S.R. 200 in Clay County, Florida, when Defendant Driver made a left turn in front of the vehicle driven by Plaintiff causing the vehicles to collide. At the time of the accident, the owner of the vehicle the defendant was driving had an insurance policy with a $10,000 limit. However, since the insurance company failed to timely offer the policy limits, Plaintiff sued the insurance company for bad faith. The case was settled a few days prior to going to trial.
Client: Personal Representative of Plaintiff's Estate Attorney: Jeremy Alters Practice Area: Trucking - Catastrophic Automotive Accidents
Description:
On October 15, 2001 Tractor Trailer Driver negligently and carelessly operated his tractor and killed Plaintiff. He failed not once, not twice, but three times to couple his tractor to the trailer. He failed to recognize initially that his fifth wheel would not slide under the trailer which was too low for connection. Once he realized it, rather than doing the right thing (getting out of the tractor to raise the trailer by crank handle), he continually rammed his tractor into the trailer to try and forego the need to utilize the crank handle. In doing so he pinned Plaintiff to the wall, crushing his internal organs with the force of 50,000 pounds. The Tractor Trailer Driver's actions violated Federal, State and Industry standards for tractor trailer drivers. Additionally, he, according to testimony from the trucking company's employees, violated the Company's own policies and procedures.
Client: Truck Passenger Attorneys: Jeremy Alters Practice Area: Catastrophic Loss – Wrongful Death
Description:
On September 4, 1999, Plaintiff was in the scope and course of his employment as a laborer with a scaffolding company, traveling in a company owned flatbed truck, when a rear tire on the truck burst causing the driver to lose control and roll-over onto its roof. Although the driver and right side passenger slid down into the foot wells and avoided major injuries, Plaintiff, who was wearing the available lap belt, was pinned with his chest on his thighs and suffocated to death. The Alters Law Firm Attorney alleged that the tire failed because it had become excessively worn, and was not subject to normal maintenance or inspection.
