Verdicts + Settlements

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.