Personal Injury

A personal injury occurs when a person suffers physical or psychological injury as a result of an accident. The most common claims are traffic and highway accidents, work-place accidents, at-home injuries, and medical and dental accidents and/or negligence as well as industrial diseases. An “accident” may also be the result of an intentional tort, such as false arrest, invasion of privacy, slander, libel, defamation or other harmful conduct.

The law firm of The Duffy Firm can quickly assemble an expert team of attorneys with the skills best suited to address the individual circumstances of a wide variety of personal injury cases. The firm provides its clients with personalized attention and assists its clients in making informed decisions. The Duffy Firm has an outstanding reputation for providing the victims of personal injuries with effective and efficient legal representation.

In Doe, The Duffy Firm negotiated a record-setting settlement, of which $54,350,000 was not confidential, for a young teenager who was helping in a food truck owned by her aunt when an explosion in the truck left her with disfiguring burns on over 65% of her body. It was determined that the cause of the explosion was a propane tank, and further discovered that a U-Haul outlet where the food truck’s tanks were taken regularly to be replenished was filling defective tanks illegally and with uncertified personnel. This settlement is reported to be the largest Pennsylvania state court pre-verdict settlement in history for a minor. It is also reported to be the second largest pre-verdict settlement in Pennsylvania state court history. It was negotiated as part of a larger settlement, of which $160,000,000 was not confidential, for four victims of the explosion.
A young man, traveling with his school on a field trip, suffered a paralyzing injury. The Duffy Firm filed a lawsuit against the school on his behalf and obtained a confidential settlement of $36,000,000.
In NCO Group, The Duffy Firm obtained a $28,200,000 verdict for property owners who suffered catastrophic losses due to failures in construction sequencing. The errors ultimately resulted in the virtual destruction of several businesses from flooding. While defendants argued that they were either not negligent or that their mistakes did not cause the damages suffered by the plaintiffs, the jury clearly found otherwise.
In Rice, the Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed a $12,400,000 verdict (obtained in addition to a $3,500,000 settlement previously received) which, combined with interest and delay damages, totaled over $22,500,000. This affirmation was for the retrial of a 2006 case, where The Duffy Firm client Leroy Rice, a forklift operator, was crushed and partially paralyzed by pallets of frozen food when the warehouse racking he was working near collapsed upon him.
In Campbell, The Duffy Firm won a $21,400,000 verdict on behalf of a diabetic man for treatment he received in the emergency room of Temple University Hospital. When Ronald Campbell was taken to the hospital in October of 2007, he was administered glucagons and glucopaste by emergency medical technicians, then discharged to family members, who found him unresponsive in bed the next morning. The defense argued that the treatment and discharge was proper, as Mr. Campbell had been brought to the hospital 11 times for high or low blood sugar levels in the five years prior (including one visit two days earlier), and that he failed to properly manage his diabetes by not complying with medical advice. However, the firm successfully argued that diabetics who suffer from repeated episodes of hypoglycemia develop a condition termed 'hypoglycemic unawareness' in which the brain becomes less sensitive to lower and lower glucose levels.
The Duffy Firm obtained a confidential $21,000,000 settlement against a bar for negligent security and overserving a patron who eventually shot a young man in the parking lot of the bar, rendering the man a paraplegic, as well as a judgment against the patron who shot the plaintiff.
The Duffy Firm obtained a $20,500,000 confidential settlement from a major Philadelphia hospital and its doctors based on proof that the doctors failed to appreciate distress on a fetal monitoring strip. The doctors delayed performing a cesarean section which resulted in anoxic injury to the child and severe cerebral palsy.
In Lewis, The Duffy Firm represented a Philadelphia doctor in a five-week trial where a jury awarded $15,700,000 to the doctor and occupants of a car she had rented after an accident stripped her of the use of her left arm and her medical practice. Attorneys for a Toyota dealer under contract to provide maintenance on the vehicle argued that the client had been speeding and the car hydroplaned, but the firm prevailed in persuading jurors that it was mechanical failure due to faulty maintenance and service. The verdict was later affirmed by the PA Superior Court, then challenged and upheld in PA Supreme Court resulting in a recovery of over $19,500,000 with interest.
A $19,250,000 confidential settlement was obtained for a construction worker who became paralyzed due to inadequate safety precautions on a job site, which resulted in the worker being struck in the back by a beam during crane operations. The case focused on the negligent operations of the site in general.
A $15,000,000 confidential medical malpractice settlement was obtained against a hospital for a 33-year-old woman who suffered a stroke weeks after being discharged from the emergency room despite similar complaints. She now has a condition known as locked-in syndrome; much of her body and face is paralyzed, although she can communicate by performing certain eye movements (up and down) and slightly squeezing her right hand. Despite her care occurring in Montgomery County, The Duffy Firm was successful in establishing and keeping the action in Philadelphia County.
The Duffy Firm obtained a $13,500,000 confidential settlement from a major Philadelphia hospital and its doctors based on our proof that an attending maternal fetal medicine physician and residents who were asked to monitor a mother's labor failed to see that an increase in her glucose level was caused by a failure to properly administer insulin. The doctors delayed initiating delivery for the child, resulting in an anoxic injury, causing severe cerebral palsy.
The Duffy Firm obtained a $12,000,000 settlement for client Terry Whittlesey, a young man who, while a passenger in a car on his way to a vacation, was rear-ended by a commercial truck. The trucking company denied all fault associated with the accident and only agreed to the settlement after jury selection was completed and the trial was about to begin. The settlement, which was reported as one of the largest in Pennsylvania that year, enabled Mr. Whittlesey to move into a home specially constructed to accommodate his ongoing physical needs.
Luong Nguyen, a 53-year-old farmer, husband, and father of five suffered second and third degree burns on 25% of his body following a portable stove malfunction. The Duffy Firm, along with our product experts, cited issues with packaging, labeling, and a lack of instructions, both in the package and from the seller. The seller tendered its full $1,000,000 insurance policy, and a $9,300,000 verdict was obtained against the manufacturer.
The Duffy Firm obtained a confidential settlement of $9,900,000 for a young man and his wife after the man suffered a traumatic brain injury when he fell from a stationary bus after leaning against the door, not realizing the door latch was not working properly.
A young woman on her way to work was struck from behind by a box truck and subsequently died from her injuries. The Duffy Firm brought suit against the driver and his employer and successfully obtained a confidential $9,000,000 settlement after it was shown through discovery that the corporate defendant provided little or no supervision over the driver who had repeated motor vehicle violations.
The Duffy Firm successfully negotiated a confidential pre-litigation settlement of $7,500,000 - without discovery - against a parking facility and its management company following an assault on a patron who, in approaching her car after leaving a store, was the victim of an attack. While the commercial defendants argued that the criminal defendants were the culpable parties, the firm amassed significant evidence of local crimes and conducted a nationwide search of the defendants’ other parking facilities to establish that the negligent security system at the facility in issue allowed the criminal defendants to perpetrate their crimes.
A young professional man visited a hospital ER in the region complaining of back pain, chest pain, headache and cough. Even though a number of tests indicated emergency surgery was needed that could not be performed at that hospital, the hospital delayed the transfer of the patient to another hospital and failed to include critical test results when the patient was finally transferred. Sadly, the patient died. The defendants argued that underlying medical issues, including Marfan syndrome and mitral valve prolapse, were contributing factors out of their control, that the patient was in significant end-organ dysfunction upon arrival and that he would not have survived the surgery. However, The Duffy Firm obtained a $7,500,000 settlement for his surviving wife and young child.
The Duffy Firm obtained a combination verdict and settlement exceeding $7,250,000 for two clients who received gunshot injuries while exiting a bar. Fortunately both clients survived the shooting, but suffered orthopedic and other internal injuries. The clients brought negligent security claims against the bar and claims against the shooter, and the firm worked to establish a significant criminal history at the establishment, putting the bar on notice of the potential for future crimes.
In Fitzpatrick v. Toll Brothers, Inc., et al, The Duffy Firm represented Vinny Fitzpatrick, a 54-year-old insulation installer who fell through a hole at a construction site. The hole had been cut in the floor of a home under construction so as to lower drywall to the basement level. There were several entities involved in the litigation, including general contractor Toll Brothers, Inc., supplier L&W Supply Corporation, installer Advanced Drywall Systems II, LLC, and handyman service
provider Johnston Built, LLC. Each of the defendants claimed another was responsible for both the cause of the hazard and whose responsibility it had been to secure and mark it per OSHA guidelines. Additionally, the defendants universally claimed that our client’s injuries were minor and that he was capable of returning to work. However, the firm was able to effectively establish the severity, trauma and permanent nature of Mr. Fitzpatrick’s injuries and obtained a global settlement of $7,000,001 just two days before jury selection.
In Eap, a combined policy limits settlement of $7,000,000 was reached for a 34-year-old small business owner rendered a paraplegic when a slab of stone fell upon him from a table used to fabricate stone into decorative countertops. The Duffy Firm obtained the settlement from the table manufacturer and two distributors.
In Voce, The Duffy Firm's client, a 49-year-old union glazier, suffered a permanent hip injury when the ladder he was working on collapsed into a nearby ditch, resulting in his inability to return to work. The jury returned a $6,500,000 verdict for Mr. and Mrs. Voce, finding the general contractor negligent by providing an unsafe working environment for our client and his co-workers.
In Straub, The Duffy Firm obtained a $4,500,000 verdict in favor of Doug Straub, a construction worker, and his wife, Carol. Mr. Straub suffered many broken bones and a closed head injury following the failure of a sewer plug which exploded, breaking bones in his face, arms and legs. The verdict was appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court twice and was ultimately affirmed resulting, with delay damages, in payment of approximately $6,500,000. The verdict was reported as one of the largest verdicts in Pennsylvania that year.
In Kelly, The Duffy Firm settled Reverend Crawford Kelly, Jr.'s claim for $6,000,000, the full insurance policy limit available in the litigation, after Reverend Kelly’s vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer, causing his vehicle to flip and resulting in the traumatic amputation of his arm. The settlement for the incident, which occurred in New Jersey, was reported as one of the largest verdicts in the state that year.
In Divon, The Duffy Firm won a $6,000,000 verdict against Wills Eye Hospital for Peter Divon, a forklift operator who suffered blindness in one eye as a result of an infection which developed following a surgery to repair a detached retina. The verdict was reported as one of the largest verdicts in Pennsylvania that year.
In Williams, The Duffy Firm secured a $5,700,000 verdict after a mentally impaired man who had been admitted to a hospital for self-inflicted stab wounds was left alone and leaped from a fourth-floor window.
A confidential settlement of $5,000,000 was obtained for a child who suffered severe cerebral palsy due to head trauma that was sustained when the doctors improperly used instruments during delivery.
In Mangano, a high school administrator came to The Duffy Firm for help after she slipped on wet flooring glue that had been applied by a flooring contractor. While the defense admitted spreading the glue, they claimed that Mrs. Mangano was not watching where she was walking and should have seen the bright white glue on the floor. Through depositions of defense corporate representatives, it was discovered that while the contractor had prepared a company safety manual, it never distributed it to their employees as it burdensome to do so. Mrs. Mangano claimed severe pain in her leg, which, while it did not appear on MRIs or X-Rays, was identified as RSD/CRPS, a post-traumatic pain syndrome linked to her accident. The defense denied the diagnosis of RSD/CRPS and blamed her pain on a prior accident and/or prior medical conditions. In the end, the firm secured a $5,000,000 settlement for Mr. and Mrs. Mangano to compensate them for Mrs. Mangano’s pain, limitations, wage loss and medical bills.
The Duffy Firm recovered $5,000,000 for the estate of a family whose wife/mother died when construction debris fell off the back of a passing truck, killing her instantly. She was a passenger and her husband, who was driving, witnessed the entire horrific event.
The Duffy Firm recovered a confidential settlement of $4,625,000 for a young lady who lost three fingers on her non-dominant hand when it was pulled into a machine which the plaintiff contended lacked proper guards and/or warnings. Complicating factors with this matter included the fact that the machine was 25 years old at the time of the incident without evidence of prior incident, and the plaintiff had an unfortunate arrest record both before and after the incident.
A confidential settlement of $4,500,000 was obtained from a teaching hospital and attending physician who failed to recognize that an expectant mother had had a recent outbreak of herpes. The doctor permitted the mother to deliver the child vaginally, exposing the child to the herpes virus, which caused severe cerebral palsy. The child was 15 when the mother first approached The Duffy Firm, after another attorney had reviewed the case and turned it down.
A confidential settlement in the amount of $4,500,000 was obtained for a school bus driver whose arm got stuck in a wheelchair lift when the lift malfunctioned and failed to stop upon reaching the floor of the school bus.
In Smith, The Duffy Firm won a $4,500,000 verdict against Misericordia Hospital, finding the hospital negligent in the testing and treatment of David Smith, ultimately resulting in his death. Mr. Smith was taken by his mother to Misericordia, and ultimately died of an aortic dissection after the hospital staff failed to properly treat or diagnose his condition. The jury returned its verdict after a two-week-long trial. The verdict was reported as one of the largest verdicts in Pennsylvania that year.
In Zarzecki, The Duffy Firm represented the family of a cellular infrastructure technician who died after falling 10 stories from a Philadelphia rooftop. The defendants argued that Mr. Zarzecki, the job foreman, was responsible for failing to wear the provided fall protection. The Duffy Firm argued that the focus should be on the poor planning and design of the project on behalf of the building's owners, property managers and general contractor, not the workers trying to get the job done. . The firm successfully negotiated a $4,450,000 settlement from multiple defendants.
A confidential settlement of $4,215,000 was obtained for a man who lost control of a motorcycle purchased just an hour before the accident, resulting in significant injuries. The Duffy Firm was able to obtain a favorable settlement concerning the motorcycle and tire design with product liability theories even though the operator did not have a motorcycle license and had been in prison for 17 years preceding the incident.
The firm obtained a settlement in the amount of $4,000,000 in product liability matter involving a medical device, specifically a pain pump used to control post-surgical pain. The Duffy Firm was able to establish that the product was being marketed and used beyond FDA clearance and that it caused the loss of shoulder cartilage to our client, ending his career as a union glazier.
In a $4,000,000 confidential settlement,we prevailed on behalf of a client against an international hotel company following a slip and fall in Mexico. Our client slipped on water tracked onto a tile floor from a pool area and struck his head on the person in front of him, breaking his neck and resulting in quadriplegia injuries. We were able to establish that the parent hotel, despite its efforts to layer many subsidiaries for insulation, would “push down” policies to its sub-subsidiaries’ hotels, resulting, among other things, in the use of the wrong type of outdoor floor mats. The backing material used on those mats resulted in the mats themselves capturing water, which then caused individuals with dry shoes or feet to track that water onto a previously dry tile surface. Despite defense efforts to remove the case to federal court and then transfer it to Mexico, The Duffy Firm fought successfully to institute and keep the matter in Philadelphia.
A confidential settlement of $4,000,000 was secured for a nurse who suffered an elbow injury, resulting in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS/RSD) as a result of her vehicle being struck by a bus making an improper lane change.
A confidential settlement of $3,800,000 was attained for a boy who, 28 hours after birth, developed necrotizing endocolitis (NEC). Failure to properly diagnose the NEC resulted in a decrease in oxygen saturation that ultimately caused an anoxic injury and cerebral palsy to the boy.
A $3,750,000 settlement in Mathis was obtained during the fourth day of trial for a 44-year-old man who was injured in a low speed, low impact crash. There was only $750 in property damage, and no traumatic injury was established on any x-ray, MRI or other study. However, during trial, The Duffy Firm, through expert research and testimony, established that the minor accident triggered a genetic response in Mr. Mathis known as Ankylosing Spondylitis, a condition of which even he was unaware. By the time of trial, Mr. Mathis walked with a cane as this genetic condition had caused a progressive fusing of his spine.
In Sawyer, The Duffy Firm secured a $3,750,000 settlement for client Susan Sawyer, a former security guard at a port in Delaware County, who was the victim of devastating injuries when a tractor trailer ran over her leg and foot.
The Duffy Firm recovered $3,750,000 for the family of a woman who drowned after the small pleasure vessel she occupied went over a poorly marked waterfall. The family argued it was all the fault of the uninsured boat operator.
In a confidential settlement, The Duffy Firm recovered $3,700,000 for a construction worker who was injured in a motor vehicle accident on a job site. His vehicle flipped over, causing fractures to his pelvis and requiring surgeries. The defense contended that the plaintiff was responsible for his incident and was driving too fast for the conditions of the project.
The Duffy Firm secured a $3,500,000 settlement in a case where a 39-year-old man in good health was brought to the emergency room with complaints of a headache so severe that he could not stand or function at work. After about an hour in the ER, he felt better. Without ordering a CAT scan or neurological consultation, the ER discharged the man. Weeks later, he collapsed on the street and was rushed to the hospital, where imaging showed a brain lesion responsible for his headaches had ruptured, leaving him with irreversible and permanent brain damage. He never fully regained consciousness and died 3 years later.
In Schramm, The Duffy Firm negotiated a $3,400,000 settlement for a client who suffered massive leg injuries when the tractor-trailer he was driving was hit by another trucker's rig.
The Duffy Firm recovered $3,300,000 in a confidential settlement for a minor who was injured in a serious motor vehicle accident that also involved unique premises liability claims against the commercial establishment where the accident took place.
Our client, a young mother in her 30's, had sought care from several successive doctors to correct lower back and related abdominal pain. After following the advice of the doctors and enduring multiple “corrective” surgeries, she received no relief whatsoever. Rib cage-related neuralgia, costochondritis, musculoskeletal pain, failed back surgery syndrome, thoracotomy syndrome, and graft site pain left her unable to return to her full-time responsibilities as a nursing supervisor. The Duffy Firm secured In a confidential $3,000,000 settlement to offset her future wage losses and medical care.
In Gymnastics Plus, a $3,000,000 verdict was obtained for a New Jersey recreational facility that was destroyed in a fire. The Duffy Firm argued that the fire would not have occurred had the local utility company maintained adequate surge protection at its transformers. The utility blamed the fire on an electrician doing work on the transformer and fought the case unsuccessfully through appellate courts and the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
In a confidential settlement, The Duffy Firm recovered $3,000,000 for a 60-year-old physician who twisted her ankle due to a sidewalk that measured to be a one-half inch offset from the surrounding sidewalk. This condition caused our client to break her ankle, resulting in surgery and post-traumatic arthritis.
The Duffy Firm recovered $2,900,000 for a minor who was injured when an erratic commercial van struck her, fracturing bones in both of her lower extremities.
The Duffy Firm obtained a $2,900,000 settlement on behalf of an undocumented construction worker who was injured when the scaffold he was working on tipped over.
In Williams, The Duffy Firm obtained $2,750,000 for a man with a history of schizophrenia who, left unattended in a crisis response center waiting for treatment for conjunctivitis, went into a bathroom and removed his own eye.
In Nalls, The Duffy Firm secured a $2,650,000 settlement for a young, off-duty police officer who was forced off the job due to injuries he received when the driver of an automobile hit him on his motorcycle, causing injuries to his face, arm, and leg.
In Ward, The Duffy Firm obtained a $2,500,000 settlement for a woman who, while working at her job as a bank teller supervisor, sustained injuries and permanent nerve damage when a deliveryman knocked a heavy box off of a hand truck onto her foot and leg.
In Baird, The Duffy Firm secured a $2,350,000 settlement for a union glazier who became permanently disabled when he had to dive to get out of the way of a crate of glass being unloaded by a crane.
A confidential settlement of $2,250,000 was reached for a baby with cerebral palsy who was delivered by a midwife and nurses who failed to recognize the significance of deceleration and drop in the baseline on the fetal monitor.
A young schoolteacher suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck in a multi-car pileup following a flash freeze involving multiple vehicles. Defendants denied wrongdoing since many vehicles were involved and claimed that the plaintiff’s injury actually came from an accident some weeks prior. The firm’s accident reconstruction experts established that the defendant drivers were at fault, since the plaintiff’s car was positioned on the side of the road, and, had the defendants been operating at safe speeds for the weather conditions, they would have had time to react. The Duffy Firm settled the matter for $2,200,000.
The Duffy Firm recovered $2,200,000 for an individual who became legally blind after ingesting a home cleaning product. The defense contended the product was misused and properly labeled, while Duffy + Fulginiti argued it was a foreseeable misuse.
The Duffy Firm recovered $2,185,000 for an individual who suffered traumatic injuries during a recreational accident. The defense contended the plaintiff had fully recovered and argued surveillance video showing him riding a bicycle and at a concert supported the same.
In Graves, a jury returned a verdict of $2,000,000 for a client of The Duffy Firm following a 5-day trial, finding that Hahnemann Hospital and its staff committed malpractice during a surgical procedure when nerves in our client's throat were accidentally cut. This verdict was especially impressive considering no claim for lost wages or medical bills was made – the verdict was based entirely on “pain and suffering."
The Duffy Firm obtained a confidential $2,000,000 settlement against a quarry owner following the drowning of a child, arguing that the quarry failed to hire properly qualified lifeguards.
The Duffy Firm secured a confidential $1,985,000 settlement for a union ironworker who lost the tips of 2 fingers when the load being transported by a crane operator was not properly rigged, allowing the bundle to collapse onto the plaintiff’s hand.
In Eager, The Duffy Firm represented a woman who sustained a traumatic brain injury in a motor vehicle accident. The defense called it a “pure…simple…accident,” alleging a dangerous curve and no fault of their client. Our reconstruction experts established that the defendant was driving recklessly. We settled the
case for $1,950,000 for our client’s injuries and future wage losses.
In Davia, The Duffy Firm obtained a $1,900,000 settlement for a contractor who suffered multiple injuries after a fall from scaffolding that had been improperly and unsafely built by another contractor on a construction site.
In Duffy, The Duffy Firm obtained a $1,900,000 verdict for John Duffy, an insurance salesman who suffered a broken hip following a motor vehicle collision with a police cruiser. The police officer contended he was in a high-speed pursuit of another vehicle, which did not pan out to be accurate based upon the police tapes.
In Kelley, The Duffy Firm obtained a $1,876,000 verdict in the United States District Court of New Jersey for a 58-year-old woman involved in a motor vehicle accident while traveling between meetings for work. The defense argued that she suffered nothing more than a temporary soft tissue injury on top of a prior history of back and neck pain that had been documented for over 10 years prior to the accident. While the client did not have surgery or broken bones, The Duffy Firm impressed upon the jury that her life had changed significantly following the accident, including an inability to return to her prior position (although she returned to light duty work) and restricted her ability to be involved in the lives of her grandchildren.
The Duffy Firm recovered $1,841,000 for a construction worker who suffered injuries when a forklift was driven over his foot. The defense contended that the plaintiff had a significant preexisting medical history and was responsible for the incident as he was not wearing high-visibility clothing.
A confidential settlement of $1,800,000 involved a traumatic brain injury victim who was forced off a road in Delaware by a tractor trailer operator. While the plaintiff returned to her pre-accident job and did not have any wage loss, The Duffy Firm was able to establish a significant impact on the plaintiff’s cognitive
function through sophisticated diagnostic testing. Additionally, although the accident occurred in Delaware, the plaintiff lived in New Jersey, and the defendant was from Wisconsin, The Duffy Firm was able to institute and maintain this action in Philadelphia County.
In Cox, The Duffy Firm represented a woman who believed that a former attorney failed to fully pursue all of the relevant theories in her medical malpractice case, forcing her to settle a case for $1 million even though she had received a $2.5 million verdict. We obtained a $1,787,000 verdict on her behalf.
The Duffy Firm recovered $1,750,000 in a complicated wrongful death case involving a workplace accident and negligently maintained equipment. The defense argued that the equipment that exploded was maintained by the decedent’s employer and any failures associated with that equipment were not the responsibility of the decedent. The case settled following unsuccessful motions for summary judgment and a lengthy mediation.
In Wardrop, The Duffy Firm attained a $1,700,000 settlement for the family of warehouse worker Bruce Wardrop, who was killed when the driver of a tractor trailer being unloaded by Mr. Wardrop moved the truck without warning. This caused the forklift being operated by Mr. Wardrop to overturn, causing his untimely death.
Andrew Weygand, an electrician, was electrocuted when he inadvertently touched an energized copper pipe on the third floor of a home where he was working as a contractor. The Duffy Firm was able to establish the pipe was not properly grounded in the basement of the home and secured a $1,650,000 settlement for his family.
A confidential settlement of $1,600,000 involved the death of an 81-year-old man, who was killed when a truck ran a red light, striking his vehicle. The Duffy Firm's post-accident vehicle testing revealed a fault in the brake line of the defense vehicle that would have prevented the vehicle from stopping in a timely manner at a traffic control device.
In Cole, a truck driver suffered a wrist injury when a steel roll-away door fell from its track and landed on The Duffy Firm's client's wrist, causing fractures in multiple places. This led to the driver's inability to continue driving trucks. A New Castle County, Delaware jury returned a verdict $1,600,000 for Mr. Cole against the Port of Wilmington.
In Pakuris, The Duffy Firm obtained a $1,550,000 verdict for a veteran Philadelphia attorney who suffered a torn rotator cuff following a motor vehicle accident. The attorney sought the assistance of the firm for the handling of his claim against the defense driver, who contended that the insignificant impact could not have caused the total disruption of Mr. Pakuris’ rotator cuff. The Duffy Firm was successful in having the defendant’s biomechanical engineer precluded from testifying based upon research against the defense expert obtained from other states.
The Duffy Firm secured a confidential settlement of $1,510,000 for a union ironworker who suffered a knee injury after stepping into a small hole on a construction site. Evidence showed that the defendants failed to establish safety protocols to ensure that all contractors on site were OSHA compliant.
In Koppel-Klein, The Duffy Firm obtained a $1,500,000 settlement for a woman who was struck by an ambulance that ran a red light. The ambulance did not have its lights or sirens activated when it sped through the steady red light. While the plaintiff, self-employed, did not have a wage loss claim, and despite significant surveillance evidence against the plaintiff, The Duffy Firm was able to obtain a favorable settlement through discovery and trial techniques, including calling the defense expert in its case-in-chief, and establishing evidence that called into question the integrity of the surveillance footage.
The Duffy Firm won a $1,500,000 settlement for a boy with Erb's Palsy caused by an attending doctor's negligent delivery after a shoulder dystocia was encountered. The doctor failed to perform the necessary maneuvers to avoid an injury.
In Kee, The Duffy Firm obtained a $1,500,000 settlement for a union plumber who fell through a rotted floor during a commercial construction project. While Mr. Kee fell only 2 feet, he suffered bilateral shoulder injuries resulting in his inability to continue work as a union plumber.
In another case, The Duffy Firm obtained a $1,500,000 settlement from a water reservoir owner based on the claim that its negligent operation during a tropical storm caused flood damage to a downstream property owner.
In Zook, The Duffy Firm secured a $1,311,900 settlement for a man who was rear-ended while stopped at a red light, but whose car sustained little property damage. He claimed multiple injuries, including a herniated disc. Defense experts suggested that the driver who rear-ended the client was going too slow to cause such injuries and that the client’s golf game did more to hurt his back than the accident did. He suffers from ongoing pain and limitations.
In S.L. Danielle, The Duffy Firm obtained a $1,300,000 verdict against a commercial building owner and tenant for significant water damage to an apparel company’s bailed goods due to the activation of an excessive number of sprinkler heads during a small fire. It was established that the fire was caused by the negligence of the tenant, and the building owner had disregarded recommendations to install a needed jockey pump for the sprinkler system before the fire.
In, Milner, The Duffy Firm represented a man who, while on a riding lawnmower as part of his job, was struck by a vehicle that came off the roadway into the shoulder. The defense claimed that our client was the one who rode into the lane of traffic, and that his traumatic injuries were a progression of pre-existing conditions. Just two days before trial, the defense settled for $1,250,000, the insurer’s full policy limit and umbrella coverage for the incident.
In a confidential settlement, The Duffy Firm recovered $1,250,000 for a volunteer firefighter who sustained injuries while responding to an emergency situation. The defense contended her damages were limited and she had fully recovered.
When a young man in his 30’s with a history of alcohol abuse was found unconscious at the apartment of a friend, he was brought to an area emergency room for treatment. While still in the ER, he had a series of seizures, and his condition deteriorated to the point where he was brought to the ICU and placed on a ventilator. Though he became well enough to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility, the damage had been done. His brain was injured to the point of having to re-learn basically every functional task and he now requires 24/7 supervision. Though the defendants claimed that the brain damage was from alcohol poisoning, The Duffy Firm brought in experts who testified that the brain damage was from hypoglycemia, which could have been easily treated and prevented brain injury. The case settled for $1,250,000.
In Rivera, The Duffy Firm secured a settlement, of which $1,175,000 million was not confidential, for a client who suffered a workplace injury due to a product malfunction. The plaintiff, a supervisor at a business that assembled chassis for a trucking company, was assisting a coworker adjusting an arm on a driveshaft manipulator when the arm collapsed, inflicting crushing injuries on his dominant hand. The injuries necessitated four surgeries and forever altered his ability to
work and live. Despite the presence of warning language in an operational manual, the firm argued that the manipulator was defective based on its design, manufacture and lack of posted warnings regarding use.
A policy limits settlement of $1,160,000 was obtained for a contractor who was visiting a construction project and fell from steps that collapsed beneath his weight. While the plaintiff was self-employed and his income increased after the accident, The Duffy Firm was able to obtain full policy limits from the contractor, as well as a recovery from the out-of-possession homeowners.
In Staton, The Duffy Firm settled client Stacy Staton’s suit for $1,100,000 against a company who improperly loaded items onto a tractor trailer he was
driving, which caused the truck to tip over during a turn and which resulted in his suffering multiple injuries, surgery and ongoing physical limitations and pain.
In Gregory, a 28-year-old father went to the hospital after waking up disoriented in the middle of the night. During three successive hospital stays, he continued to have impairment. The Duffy Firm established that physicians missed symptoms indicating a nervous system infection and obtained a jury award of $1.1 million.
In Eshleman, a power plant security guard was shocked by stray static electricity after operating a keypad to open a sliding gate. The defense claimed the shock was negligible and that the cause of the woman’s pain was a prior injury, but The Duffy Firm worked to obtain a settlement for her in the amount of $1,065,000.
In Britt, The Duffy Firm obtained a policy limits settlement of $1,000,000 in Lehigh County for an Upper Darby police officer who suffered a back injury following an accident with a lumber truck. While the defense disputed liability, causation and damages and conducted countless hours of surveillance of Mr. Britt, an inflexible policy limit demand was made, and a tender ultimately came shortly before trial.
We obtained a confidential settlement against a large Philadelphia hospital and resident physician group after our client, a 51-year-old happily married and employed man with two young children and some minor health issues, underwent spinal surgery at the recommendation of the physicians. The surgery left him with complications that involved having the ability to swallow only with difficulty and being at risk for aspiration. Though he died from completely unrelated causes, The Duffy Firm was able to secure $1,000,000 in compensation for his family.
The Duffy Firm obtained a confidential $875,000 settlement involving product liability claims against the manufacturer of a fire suppression link that failed to separate during a fire of an unknown cause, resulting in the destruction of a local landmark diner.
In Moyer, a Philadelphia jury awarded $850,000 in damages to our client, who had been struck and knocked down by a delivery truck as the truck was pulling out from the loading dock. The defense argued the driver had looked in his mirrors within seconds before the incident and Ms. Moyer was not present; however, The Duffy Firm successfully argued that whether she was present for merely seconds or longer was immaterial as one should not move a truck without confirming it was safe to do so.
A 36-year-old woman went to the emergency room with difficulty breathing. Though initial testing showed she was in acute hypoxic respiratory failure, she was kept in the ER overnight as her conditions worsened, but never admitted to the hospital. The next day, while still in the ER, the woman died. Though the hospital argued the woman’s complicated medical history (including asthma, pneumonia, and obesity) was the cause, The Duffy Firm secured a confidential settlement of $850,000 for the family she left behind.
A $750,000 settlement was secured for a truck driver injured when he rear-ended a disabled vehicle in front of him, causing him to not only strike the disabled vehicle, but be rear-ended himself by the vehicle behind him.
In Rivera, The Duffy Firm successfully argued before a Philadelphia jury that a 31-year-old man’s poor care at a local hospital led to his death, obtaining a $750,000 verdict for his family.
A $700,000 settlement was obtained for a woman who, while stepping over a sitting wall, twisted her ankle while stepping down onto the asphalt surface. The Duffy Firm was able to establish that the engineer who designed the sitting wall and asphalt surface failed to comply with industry standards.
A The Duffy Firm client sought care at a Philadelphia emergency room for pain in his left foot, left hip and left shoulder. Tests were done and the client was discharged with a diagnosis of shoulder pain, toe fracture and hub/thumb bruise/contusion. However, when the X-Rays were officially read after the discharge, the radiologist found an irregularity that was never communicated to the patient. The delay in treatment resulted in permanent shoulder problems for the client, for whom the firm obtained a $500,000 settlement.
In this confidential case, the firm obtained a $500,000 settlement for an individual who rear-ended a slow-moving tractor trailer, which had been previously pulled over by the police for operating at a slow speed. While the incident occurred in Lehigh County, The Duffy Firm successfully instituted the action in Philadelphia County and was able to have the action remanded after it was removed to federal court on an unsuccessful fraudulent joinder argument.
In Wright, a child was left with permanent scarring and discoloration of skin due to the way forceps were applied at birth at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The defense argued that the feature was simply a birthmark that showed up months after she was born. To protect the child’s well-being, the case was largely presented through photographs. The Duffy Firm obtained a $350,000 verdict on behalf of the child.
In Leedie, a saleswoman was driving on I-95 when she became stopped in traffic and was rear-ended. The defendant claimed that our client had suddenly
entered his lane and cut him off. After establishing our client’s injuries and the impact to her career, the jury ultimately awarded her $180,000.

Personal Injury

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