Catastrophic Accidents

Have you or a member of your family suffered a serious injury in a catastrophic accident such as a car or truck accident, an industrial accident, or a fire or explosion? Do you believe that the accident was caused by someone’s negligence or a defective product?

At the law firm of Caddell & Chapman, we have more than two decades of experience taking on companies that act negligently, insurance companies, and manufacturers of defective products. Our lawyers are dedicated to handling significant cases against major businesses with plenty of resources on their side. We have an impressive record of success in these challenging cases.

Getting to the Bottom of Catastrophic Accidents

In our quest to obtain results in these cases, we are  aggressive and creative. When we take a case, we are prepared to take swift action. For more than 35 years they have developed a reputation for consistently providing representation to injury victims and their families that results in huge settlements and verdicts.

Caddell & Chapman recovered $30 million for the families of 14 maquiladora workers who were killed and/or injured in a tragic bus accident near Brownsville, Texas. A school bus was being used to transport workers from Mexico to a clothing manufacturing plant when the bus swerved to avoid a collision. The brakes failed, the bus turned over in a drainage ditch, and the maquiladora workers drowned.  The bus was in poor condition and had not been properly maintained by the company. All of the dead and injured came from one village in Mexico about 20 miles south of Brownsville. The victims’ employer was represented by two former Texas Supreme Court Justices and four different law firms. Caddell & Chapman successfully fought efforts to have the suit dismissed on forum non conveniens grounds, including three unsuccessful mandamus efforts at the Texas Supreme Court. Ultimately, the case settled for $30 million two weeks into trial. The company will now need to get car loans with bad credit no money down after that really big trial.

In Las Vegas, Nevada, Caddell & Chapman handled a trucking negligence case arising from a multi-fatality accident on an interstate highway in rural Nevada. The firm represented the families of four Mexican nationals who died when their disabled vehicle was struck by a Rebel Oil commercial truck. The decedents had been involved in a prior head-on collision, and their vehicle was disabled in the lanes of travel. Other drivers saw the initial accident and stopped to render aid. Before assistance could be provided, the Rebel Oil tractor-trailer, which was coming from the opposite direction, failed to see the car and crushed it at near highway speed. In the course of its investigation, Caddell & Chapman learned that the tractor-trailer driver had a history of mental illness, criminal conduct, driving citations, and prior trucking incidents. In the heavily contested case, Caddell & Chapman had to have sanctions imposed against defense counsel three times and, on the eve of trial, the parties settled for a substantial recovery of approximately $5.1 million for the decedents’ families (total attorneys’ fees: $2,040,000; litigation expenses: $240,000).

Taking on the Toughest Cases

In addition to their successes against insurance companies and major corporations, Caddell & Chapman has demonstrated its willingness to work for the underdog through its representation of families in litigation against the government. In 2008, Caddell & Chapman obtained the largest tort claim recovery against the State of Nevada in its history. The lawsuit arose from a multiple fatality accident near Las Vegas involving a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper. The trooper was driving his patrol car at 113mph without activation of emergency lights and siren. The patrol car struck a sedan occupied by five undocumented Mexican residents, which killed four and injured the fifth. In contrast to other lawyers who settled several of the wrongful death claims for the liability limits under Nevada law of $50.000 per claim, the firm developed a section 1983 claim against the state with unparalleled success. As noted by the Las Vegas Review Journal, the firm’s settlement is the largest ever made by the state to settle a lawsuit over a negligent action by an employee.

Fires and Explosions Caused by Defective Consumer Products

The variety of consumer products that can cause a fire or an explosion is surprisingly wide. Our law firm has seen cases involving burns caused by defective car ignition switches, baby wipe warmers, stereos, and other electrical home appliances. Cases can also involve fires and explosions due to defective gas tanks in cars and pickup trucks.

No matter what product caused the accident, we will seek full compensation from the manufacturer.

Caddell & Chapman successfully represented the family of a young girl in a products liability lawsuit against an international electronics corporation. The lawsuit alleged that an electronic appliance failed and caused a house fire. The fire had started in a children’s bedroom, and a young girl sleeping on a top bunk received terrible second and third degree burn injuries to roughly one-third of her body. The product manufacturer agreed that the fire began in the child’s room but claimed that the fire could not have started as the family claimed. Hiring a team of experts and investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into the case, Caddell & Chapman conducted a thorough investigation of the fire and the appliance at issue. The law firm’s work included two full-scale burn tests to prove its theory of how the fire started. Such testing required re-creation of the children’s room with precise measurements and the purchase of comparable furniture appliances, clothing, opening (door and window), and other materials. With nine cameras monitoring the room, the firm and its experts started the fire at the appliance under scrutiny and watched as the fire spread through the room as had been observed by witnesses. Soon after completion of these tests, the electronics manufacturer settled for more than it had paid on any prior personal injury claim. (Note: Under terms of the settlement, the firm cannot identify or allude to the name of the electronics company.)

Aggressive, Creative Representation

From our office in Houston, Texas, our law firm is available to work on a nationwide basis in significant personal injury and wrongful death cases or if you live in NY contact Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman law firm.

Contact us today to discuss your case with an experienced lawyer.