Don Bishop
We represented an FBI agent Don Bishop who fell ill and went to the emergency room of a hospital.
We argued that the hospital was negligent in failing to diagnose the fact that this person was having a stroke. As a result of the hospital's negligence, our client suffered permanent brain damage and had to leave the FBI.
In spite of the fact that it was very difficult to prove certain key elements of the case, the case settled after the first witness was presented for an amount that insured that our client would receive the best possible medical care for the rest of his life. The award will enable him and his wife to live comfortably without worry.
The Estate of Cynthia Coffey v. Wyeth
Rick Laminack, Tom Pirtle and Buffy Martines were central figures in the successful battle for the nation's largest personal injury award in history (at the time of the award). The case involved a mother of 3 young daughters who took a diet drug that was proven to have caused her primary pulmonary hypertension. The case was against one of the nation's largest pharmaceutical companies, and involved a myriad of complex legal issues that highlighted our talents as trial lawyers. The trial lasted a full month. The jury verdict was unanimous, and generated national attention.
Faulty Highway Signs
A recent case involved a defective highway warning sign that came apart when hit by a car.
The resulting injury was serious brain damage to our 19-year-old client. As the lead trial lawyer, Laminack procured the highest verdict allowed by law.
The case had been tried and lost by another lawyer. The judge ordered a new trial, which Laminack tried and won.
Eddie Martinez Vs. Phillips Petroleum Co.
One case involved a client who was a maintenance worker for a municipal water authority, seeking justice from a major energy production company. A natural gas pipeline had exploded when it was lightly damaged by a mower blade, operated by our client. The client was severely burned in the explosion. The injuries permanently disabled him from ever doing any type of manual labor.
The case was settled prior to trial after Tom Pirtle and Rick Laminack took a series of important depositions. The settlement allowed the client to get the finest medical treatment and rehabilitation available, and to open his own business. He is now a well-adjusted, active and productive member of his community.
