Steelman Gaunt Crowley

$2

Medical Malpractice

Parents sued for medical malpractice after their son, Jeremy Chambers, suffered permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy during birth due to alleged negligent use of a vacuum extractor and failure to perform a Caesarean section. The case was settled with an irrevocable supplemental special needs trust.

$1

Auto Accident

Michael Carmody was killed and his wife, Donna Carmody, was seriously injured when their car collided with a 'bobtailing' tractor-trailer. The trucking company's insurer, St. Paul, denied coverage for Donna's injuries. Donna won a judgment for her injuries, and after further legal action, a federal court entered a judgment of $1,361,000, including policy limits and interest.

$1

Truck Accident

A tractor trailer driven by an inattentive driver (allegedly reaching for a cell phone) caused a multi-vehicle collision, killing Ralph F. Hoffman and Janet L. Hoffman, and seriously injuring their son, Ralph A. Hoffman. The family pursued claims against the trucking company. A settlement was reached, which also included a provision for the truck driver to surrender his commercial driver’s license for life.

$1

Defamation

Allstate denied coverage for a fire claim, alleging fraud and misrepresentation by the insured, John Johnson. Johnson sued Allstate for defamation, arguing the denial letter made him uninsurable. A court ruled in favor of Johnson.

$500,000

Life Insurance Dispute

Following Bradley Kamrath’s death, his wife and sister both claimed beneficiary rights to his $500,000 life insurance policy. Mr. Kamrath had attempted to change the beneficiary to his sister but did not complete the proper forms. The U.S. District Court, affirmed by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, found that the efforts were not substantive enough to meet the requirements for the application of the substantial-compliance doctrine, affirming Ms. Kamrath as the policy beneficiary.