Many of the cases handled by Gray, Ritter & Graham are confidential in nature — both in the identity of our clients and the settlement/verdict obtained on their behalf. We
have, therefore, limited this list to only those instances in which our clients have agreed to have some details of their case made public to serve as an example for others. You may use the links associated with some of the case descriptions to view newspaper and magazine articles that provide additional details about these cases.
We caution viewers that past results reported on this Web site afford no guarantee of future results. Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits.
Murray v. A.J. Metler Hauling and Rigging
$3.6 million settlement for wrongful death of an elderly woman whose death was
caused by complications of injuries sustained when a tractor trailer collided
with her automobile.
Carr v. CATCO
$2.8 million for the death of a 36-year-old wife/mother and serious injuries to
two young daughters as a result of a tragic head-on collision.
Bradshaw v. Bigbee
Damages to the family of a man who was killed at a truck stop parking lot when
he was run over by an 18-wheel tractor trailer.
Celena Little v. Roadway Express, Inc.
Jury verdict of $675,000 in favor of driver of automobile against trucking
company for personal injury.
Brown v. Allstate Insurance Co.
$500,000 verdict in St. Louis City for emotional injuries suffered by a
passenger involved in an automobile accident with an uninsured driver.
McCarrison v. City of St. Louis An airport mechanic was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by a baggage handler at Lambert St. Louis International Airport. McCarrison's surviving spouse, mother and children sued the co-worker for failure to keep a careful lookout and the City of St. Louis for maintaining.
MEDICAL, HOSPITAL OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE
Robinson v. Nassif, et al.
A confidential settlement was reached on the second day of trial with the radiologist who performed a procedure which resulted in a 48-year-old St. Louis man becoming a paraplegic.
Bruns v. Patty, et al.
$2 million secured for the care of a child diagnosed with cerebral palsy after a compromised birth. The child is also blind and deaf and has an uncertain life expectancy. The settlement will guarantee his future care.
Taylor Thompson v. Missouri Delta Community Hospital
Jury verdict of $5.2 million in case which involved allegations of medical
negligence during delivery of child which resulted in brain damage. Affirmed on
appeal; case represents the highest malpractice jury award ever rendered in
Southeast Missouri.
Holmes v. Chadarantana, et al.
$1.2 million settlement from doctor and anesthesia personnel and additional
confidential settlement with hospital for family of woman who suffered extensive
blood loss during a D&C surgery which caused brain damage and later death.
Joyner v. Washington University
Confidential settlement for the husband and daughter of Olympic Gold Medalist,
Florence Griffith Joyner, "Flo-Jo" in a wrongful death action against a
hospital, neurologist and radiologist for their failure to diagnose and treat a
brain lesion.
Stallings v. St. Louis University
A young mother was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in
prison without the possibility of parole for the poisoning death of her infant
son with antifreeze. GRG then came in to represent the woman and her husband.
The conviction was overturned and the mother was released from prison. A
wrongful death claim was successfully pursued against a hospital, physicians and
commercial laboratory for their cumulative failures to make a proper diagnosis
of an inborn metabolic disease known as methylamonic acidemia which, if timely
and properly diagnosed, could have been treated thereby saving the child's life.
This case was ultimately the subject of many medical articles and a
made-for-television movie.
Robert Ritter recently talked with MSNBC about the Patty Stallings case for
their November 15, 2007 program When Forensics Fail: Krone & Stallings. Click here
to view the television program.
Stratman v. St. Louis Children's Hospital
Confidential settlement with hospital and anesthesiologist for devastating
neurological injuries sustained by a 12-year-old boy during surgery for a
routine outpatient hernia repair. This case has received national attention.
Mattson v. St. Johns Mercy Medical Center
Confidential settlement with physicians and hospital for the medical and nursing
mismanagement of congenital heart disease in a 2-year-old child.
Sanford v. Ethicon
Confidential settlement for a child and his parents for severe injuries to the
3-year-old which resulted when suture material used during open-heart surgery
failed and the child hemorrhaged.
Haigler v. Boston Scientific
Confidential settlement in a case involving failure of a balloon catheter during
angioplasty, which caused a valve in the heart of a 5-month-old child to tear.
Canter v. Spewak
Confidential settlement for the wrongful death of a 4-year-old due to failure of
a pediatrician to diagnose bacterial endocarditis.
Guenther v. Jewish Hospital
Confidential settlement with physicians and a hospital for devastating injuries
suffered by child during labor and delivery.
Hogan v. Bury
Confidential settlement with the obstetrician, resident, nurse and hospital for
severe neurological injuries to a newborn which resulted from poorly managed and
monitored labor and delivery.
Callahan v. St. Johns Mercy Medical Center
Confidential settlement with hospital for injuries and, eventually, death of a
68-year-old man with a surviving wife and eight children following trauma to his
neck during a surgical procedure.
Murphy v. Waxelman
Confidential settlement for the wrongful death of a 6-year-old child following
physician's failure to timely diagnose Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
PRODUCT LIABILITY
DKF v. Remington Arms
A teenage boy was injured when a hunting rifle accidentally discharged. GRG provided evidence that the rifle was defective by showing that the gun would release the firing pin and discharge a bullet without pulling the trigger.
Coggins v. Laclede Gas
Company
$4.5 million dollar jury verdict for family of 20-year-old man who died while
asleep at home from explosion due to natural gas leak.
Hessel v. Laclede Gas Company
Confidential settlement. Severe burns to a 36-year-old man following gas
explosion in a house resulting from deteriorating underground gas supply lines
Weeks v. Six Flags
Confidential settlement for injury to a child and death of her sister and uncle
following failure of a "sky ride" at an amusement park.
John Richey v. American Industries, et al.
Product liability action for equipment design defect, which resulted in partial
loss of toes on one foot; $400,000 jury verdict for our client.
O'Leary v. Chilton Metal
Confidential settlement for a 9-year-old boy who was severely burned when a gas
can exploded. Case involved defective design of the spout on the can.
Laboube v. Toyota Motor Corporation
Confidential settlement for a family for severe injuries to the father and two
minor children and the deaths of the mother and another child resulting from
seat belt failure of their late model Toyota sedan.
Crafton v. U.S. Specialty Insurance Co.
Obtained Federal Court judgment for widow on $3,000,000 life insurance policy where husband's death was alleged to have been result of
occupational disease. Case settled through mediation during appeal.
Hillsboro R-3 School District v.
Septagon Construction Management et al.
$715,000 settlement for school district in construction litigation over a high
school roof.
Cook v. DeSoto Fuels, Inc.
Claim for property owners whose land was contaminated by leaching of fuel
products.
Lambrich v. Fred Weber
$3 million dollar verdict in Jefferson County for damages sustained by a family
operating a pay-to-fish business when highway construction resulted in mud and
debris contaminating their ponds.
Bristow v. Huntleigh Securities Corp.
GRG represented the former president of Huntleigh Securities in a dispute which claimed his termination violated his employment agreement. Prevailed at arbitration and, on appeal, Arbitrator's award was affirmed.
AVIATION AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
Jones v. Three Rivers Electric Cooperative, Inc.
$21 million dollar jury verdict for two military pilots when their helicopter
flew into unmarked electric transmission lines near Lake of the Ozarks. Upheld
on appeal.
Brezhnev v. Marriott
In a premises liability case, Vadim Brezhnev was staying at the Renaissance Jamaica Grand Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. After getting out of bed on his first day at the resort, Brezhnev, 68, slipped and fell on a puddle of water that had accumulated on the tile floor around the air conditioner in his room during the night. He suffered a severe closed head injury causing chronic headaches and visual impairment. He also sustained a fractured left femoral
break which required hip arthroplasty to insert a prosthetic implant.
CONSUMER LITIGATION
Quinn v. BJC
BJC Health System settled a class action suit brought on behalf of uninsured
patients who alleged they were charged inflated prices for the same services
provided insured patients.
Bayer CropScience Rice Litigation Class action suits filed against the agricultural company who produced a modified rice seed, known as "Liberty Link Rice." Some foreign and domestic purchasers have shunned the 2006 rice crop after traces of a genetically modified rice variety were discovered in Missouri and Arkansas rice bins. More than 200 farmers were named in the St. Louis suit which involves more than 125,000 acres of farmland.
Bard Composix Kugel surgical mesh patches GRG is currently representing patients who had Bard Composix Kugel surgical patches implanted during abdominal hernia surgery. The manufacturer of this surgical mesh product has recalled the product and is in the process of contacting surgeons and patients to make them aware of potential complications caused by the product. In a letter to hospitals and surgeons, dated March 24, 2006, the manufacturer alerted the public to the voluntary recall and advised immediate discontinuance of the surgical mesh with specified product codes. Patients have
experienced abdominal pain, bowel perforation and chronic enteric fistulas related to the surgical mesh. Many patients have already had the mesh surgically removed through complicated and delicate surgery. The surgical patches are distributed by Davol Inc. a subsidiary of C.R.
Bard, Inc., leader in the medical products industry.
Bausch & Lomb MoistureLoc Litigation GRG is currently involved in handling claims for persons who developed Fusarium eye fungus infections, a potentially blinding eye condition, against Bausch & Lomb, the manufacturer of ReNu With MoistureLoc. Ophthalmologists have linked the popular Bausch & Lomb product to the serious eye fungus and the company halted shipments of Renu With Moistureloc to U.S. stores on April 10, 2006 and publicly announced, on April 13, that the product should not be used.
Ring v. MSD GRG was co-counsel for class action plaintiffs in a $30 million recovery against
the sewer district for unconstitutional rate increase levied against sewer
district customers.
Schrand v. Orkin
Class action recovery against exterminating company for alleged large scale
fraud in failing to treat foundations of homes with the amount of termiticide it
had agreed to supply.
FELA RAILROAD WORKERS INJURIES
Cuslidge v. Union Pacific Railroad
Railroad failed to provide a safe work place. A railroad electrician filed a claim under the Federal Employers Liability Act against Union Pacific alleging that excessive walking in the workplace contributed to a painful inflammatory condition in his feet that ultimately required surgery. The Appeals Court affirmed the verdict, which granted compensation to Mr. Cuslidge for the injuries sustained during his employment.
