Featured Cases

The attorneys at Langdon & Emison take great pride in obtaining successful results for victims of accidents caused by defective cars and trucks; these pages highlight just a fraction of the cases in which our lawyers have maximized the recovery of injury victims.

Fuel-fed Fires

Occupants of vehicles should not burn to death in an otherwise survivable accident.  Our attorneys have developed a strong national reputation for results in post-collision fire cases.  This list represents only a fraction of the fire cases our lawyers have litigated.

Wasilik v. Ford (Fuel Siphoning After Compromise of Fuel System), $26.4 million verdict - A post-collision fuel-fed fire resulted when gasoline siphoned out of the fuel tank in a head-on collision causing serious burns to those involved.  Mr. Wasilik was awarded $26,407,402.43 for severe burns.  At the time, this was the largest tort verdict awarded in the state of Maryland.

Mathes v. Ford (Fuel Tank Puncture / Trucking Accident), $12.5 million verdict - Another vehicle collided into an F-150 causing the fuel tank to be punctured.  A large fire resulted and three people were burned to death.  This case resulted in a $12.5 verdict for Mr. Mathes, whose son and parents burned to death in this collision, which also involved a semi-truck.

Baker v. GM (Fuel Siphoning After Compromise of Fuel System), $11.3 million verdict - Two adults burned to death in a post-collision fuel-fed fire that resulted from a defect in the car -- namely, that the car did not have an anti-siphoning device.  The jury awarded $11.3 million for the family of the two people in this case.

This case was the very first in the country to have admitted into evidence what has been termed the "Ivey Memo" in which a General Motors engineer compared the cost of fixing fire-causing defects with the deaths that resulted from vehicle fires.  GM concluded that it could only spend $2.25 per vehicle to prevent fires – after that, it was in GM's economic interests to pay wrongful death lawsuits rather than fix the problems.

Alexander v. GM (Torn Fuel Line / Door Locking Mechanism), Confidential Settlement - A torn fuel line caused a fire and the plaintiff sustained serious injuries.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement while the jury was deliberating on its verdict.

Clark v. GM (Side Saddle Gas Tank), Confidential Settlement - A pickup, designed with side saddle gas tanks, ran off the road and struck a culvert which compromised the tanks. A post-collision fuel-fed fire resulted, killing the driver.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Dobbs v. GM (Fuel Tank Puncture), Confidential Settlement - A post-collision fuel-fed fire in a General Motors C/L truck resulted in serious burns to a victim because the gasoline tank was punctured when the vehicle slid off the road and hit a tree.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Gribat v. GM (Side Saddle Gas Tank), Confidential Settlement - A General Motors C/K truck was involved in a head-on collision resulting in the rupture of the side saddle tank. The accident caused a burn death.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Head v. GM (Ruptured Fuel Tank), Confidential Settlement - A General Motors C/K truck struck a tree and ruptured its gas tank, resulting in a post-collision fuel-fed fire.  The fire caused severe burns and death.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Hinderks v. GM (Punctured Fuel Tank), Confidential Settlement - A gasoline tank was punctured when another vehicle struck a General Motors C/K truck causing a post-collision fuel-fed fire that resulted in burn deaths.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Hundelson v. GM (Ruptured Gas Tank), Confidential Settlement - A General Motors C/K truck struck a tree and ruptured its gas tank, resulting in a post-collision fuel-fed fire. The fire caused severe burns and death.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Klarlund v. GM (Ruptured Fuel Tank), Confidential Settlement - This case involves a collision fuel-fed fire with a General Motors C/K truck in a T-bone accident.  The gasoline tank ruptured and the plaintiff was burned to death.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Moore v. Ford (Fuel Siphoning After Compromise of Fuel System), Confidential Settlement - Mrs. Moore was burned to death in a post-collision fuel-fed fire that resulted from the siphoning of gasoline out of the tank.  Additionally, Moore was trapped inside her vehicle because the doors were defective and would not open.

Pierce v. Honda (Ruptured Fuel Tank), Confidential Settlement - A Honda passenger car collided with a guardrail, riding up on top of it.  This collision sliced the tank open and caused a fire. There were numerous burn victims and a death. This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Shaffer-Kleoppel v. GM (In-Cab Gas Tank Puncture), Confidential Settlement - This case involved a post-collision fuel-fed fire where the gasoline escaped from a gasoline tank inside the passenger compartment of a General Motors pickup truck.  The plaintiff suffered severe burns.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Turner v. GM (In-Cab Fuel Tank Puncture / Aged Tire), Confidential Settlement - Travis Turner was driving a General Motors pickup when one of its tires experienced a catastrophic detread.  Travis lost control of the truck and collided with another vehicle.  The fuel tank, which was located inside the cab of the truck, was compromised and Travis burned to death.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Williams v. Ford (Fuel System Compromise), Confidential Settlement - A Ford Thunderbird was rear-ended by another vehicle.  Williams, a police officer in Maui, Hawaii was trapped underneath the burning Thunderbird and burned to death.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement before the jury was impaneled.

Reclined Seat

While consumers are often surprised to learn that reclining in their automobile seat can have catastrophic consequences, auto makers have known of this danger for years. We have listed below a few of the cases in which our attorneys have held manufacturers accountable for failing to warn the public of this danger.

Kumar v. Toyota (Reclined Seat), $59 million verdict - Mr. Kumar was riding in the front seat of a Toyota passenger vehicle with his seat reclined when the vehicle was involved in a frontal collision.  Both Mr. Kumar and his seat flew forward at the time of impact.  Kumar received serious injuries that resulted in the amputation of both of his legs. The jury awarded Kumar $59 million, which set a new record verdict in Maryland, breaking Langdon & Emison's previous $26 million record verdict.

Martin v. Ford (Reclined Seat), $16.94 million verdict - Tami Martin, a young woman from Florida, was rendered a paraplegic in a low speed collision because her seat back was reclined while she was traveling in a Ford Windstar minivan.  A Jacksonville, Florida jury agreed that Ford should have warned Tami of this danger and awarded her $16.94 million.

Lee v. GM (Reclined Seat / Defective Seat Belt / Defective Door Latch), Confidential Settlement - Olympic bobsledder Steven Lee was returning from the Winter Olympic games in Utah to his home near Chicago, Illinois.  While driving through Iowa, the driver of the GM pickup truck lost control of the vehicle on an icy patch of road.  Steven was sleeping with his seat reclined.

The driver of the pickup walked away uninjured, but Steven was thrown from the vehicle when his door opened and his seat belt became completely ineffective.  Steven suffered severe internal and brain injuries.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Restraint System

Seat belts and air bags should save lives, not take them.  This page lists cases in which Langdon and Emison lawyers have held car makers accountable for designing dangerous restraint systems.

Blankenship v. GM (Center Seat Lap Belt Only), Confidential Settlement - Jessica Blankenship was riding in the middle row center seat of a Pontiac Transport minivan.  The driver of the minivan lost control going around a curve and hit a tree.  The two front seat passengers were wearing three-point lap/shoulder seat belts and were uninjured in the collision.  Jessica was wearing the lap belt only seat belt provided for the middle row center seating position.

The two front seat passengers were uninjured.  However, the lap belt caused severe internal injuries and caused Jessica to become paralyzed from the waist down.  This case resulted in confidential settlement.

Callaway v. Ford (Air Bag Failed To Deploy), Confidential Settlement - A car pulled out in front of the vehicle in which Callaway was a passenger.  The airbag failed to deploy and Callaway made contact with the windshield, causing him to suffer serious injuries.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Craun v. GM (Seat Belt Failure), Confidential Settlement - Serious injuries and death were caused by a head-on collision wherein the restraint system failed and allowed the plaintiff to strike the steering wheel and windshield.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Fine v. GM (Automatic Seat Belt), Confidential Settlement - An 11-year old girl, Windy Fine, was riding in the front passenger seat of a Saturn vehicle, manufactured by General Motors.  The Saturn was struck by another vehicle and hit the rear-end of a tow truck at low speed.

No other occupant of the Saturn vehicle was injured in this collision, but Windy was fatally injured by the automatic seat belt.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Hess v. Honda (Center Seat Lap Belt Only), Currently Pending - C.B Hess was traveling with a group of friends when the driver of the Honda CR-V lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree.  C.B. Hess was the only occupant wearing a seat belt and the only occupant killed in this collision.

Every expert in this case has agreed that the lap belt only seat belt that C.B. was wearing at the time of the collision caused the injuries that killed him.  This case is currently pending in Jackson County, Indiana (south of Indianapolis).

Lawson v. Century Child Seats and GM (Child Car Seat / Automatic Seat Belt), Confidential Settlement - A young child was riding in a car seat when this vehicle was in a head-on collision.  The child suffered serious brain damage.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Kircher v. Nissan (Automatic Seat Belt), Confidential Settlement - Mrs. Kircher was involved in a head-on collision which rendered her a paraplegic as a result of the passive, automatic seat belt she was wearing.  The case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Schouten v. Ford (Rear Seat Lap Belt Only), Confidential Settlement - This Ford vehicle was equipped with a rear center seat lap belt-only restraint system.  A child sitting in the rear of the car was paralyzed as a result of an accident.  The child's mother and father, front seat occupants, were not seriously injured.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement while the jury was being brought into the courtroom.

Williams v. Ford (Restraint System / Seat Design), Confidential Settlement - A young man fell asleep in his car, lost control and went off the road.  He bottomed out in his seat, allowing his shoulder belt to come up around his neck.  He was rendered a quadriplegic as a result of this accident.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Vehicle Rollover

In an emergency, a vehicle should be able to pull over, not rollover.  At Langdon & Emison, our lawyers work hard to hold car manufacturers liable for designing dangerous and unstable vehicles.  This list is only some of the stability cases handled by our law firm.

Brockman v. Toyota (Toyota Pickup Rollover), Confidential Settlement - A Toyota pickup truck rolled over after a wheel dropped off of the roadway while driving through a construction zone where the contractor failed to make the edge of the road even with the highway.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Ford / Firestone Litigation (Ford Explorer / Firestone Tire Rollover), Currently Pending - There were numerous cases involving Ford Explorer rollover accidents that occurred in Mexico.  The Firestone tires detreaded, causing the loss of control of Ford Explorers.  These accidents caused many deaths, paraplegia and serious injuries.  These cases are currently pending in Tennessee.

Patrick v. Ford (Ford Explorer / Michelin Tire Rollover / Aged Tire), Currently Pending - A family of five was driving home to Las Vegas from attending a family funeral in Oklahoma.   After suffering a flat tire overnight, the family continued their trip using the full-sized Michelin spare tire.

After only a short time, the Michelin tire experienced a catastrophic failure and detread and the Ford Explorer rolled while still on the highway.  Each member of the Patrick family suffered injuries in this accident and Carol Patrick was killed.  This case is currently pending in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Defective Tire

Your safety is literally riding on your tires. This list includes some of the cases brought by Langdon and Emison against tire companies.

Turner v. GM (Aged Tire / In Cab Fuel Tank Puncture), Confidential Settlement - Travis Turner was driving a General Motors pickup when one of its tires experienced a catastrophic detread.  Travis lost control of the truck and collided with another vehicle.  The fuel tank, which was located inside the cab of the truck, was compromised and Travis burned to death.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Ford / Firestone Litigation (Ford Explorer / Firestone Tire Rollover), Currently Pending - There were numerous cases involving Ford Explorer rollover accidents that occurred in Mexico.  The Firestone tires detreaded, causing the loss of control of Ford Explorers. These accidents caused many deaths, paraplegia and serious injuries.  These cases are still pending in Tennessee.

Matthews v. Budd and Michelin (Mismatched Tire and Wheel), Currently Pending - Sammy Matthews was helping out a friend by inflating a tire to see if the tire was leaking and to see if Sammy could repair it.  However, what Sammy did not know, was that the tire that was mounted on the rim was designed for a wheel rim of a different size.  After Sammy had inflated the tire, the tire bead broke and caused the tire to explode.  Sammy was struck in the head and suffered severe injuries, including brain injury.  This case is currently pending in federal court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Patrick v. Ford (Ford Explorer / Michelin Tire Rollover / Aged Tire), Currently Pending - A family of five was driving home to Las Vegas from attending a family funeral in Oklahoma.  After suffering a flat tire overnight, the family continued their trip using the full-sized Michelin spare tire.

After only a short time, the Michelin tire experienced a catastrophic failure and detread and the Ford Explorer rolled while still on the highway.  Each member of the Patrick family suffered injuries in this accident and Carol Patrick was killed.  This case is currently pending in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Defective Child Car Seat

Child car seats should protect children, not injure them. This list includes cases brought against child car seat manufacturers.

Lawson v. Century Child Seats and GM (Child Car Seat / Automatic Seat Belt), Confidential Settlement - A young child was riding in a car seat when this vehicle was in a head-on collision. The child suffered serious brain damage.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Defective Auto Seat

The seat in your vehicle should not only be comfortable, it should be strong enough to protect you in an accident.  This list describes some of the cases our lawyers have brought because of defective seat.

Bruce v. Ford (Seat Back Failure), Confidential Settlement - Donna Bruce was driving a Ford Explorer when she was struck by a Jeep Cherokee after the Cherokee's driver had fallen asleep.  During the collision, Donna's seat back failed and she was thrown in the back seat where she struck her son, Nathan Bruce.  Nathan suffered severe injuries, including brain injury.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Grant v. Toyota (Seat Back Failure), Confidential Settlement - Plaintiff was involved in a very low impact rear collision (where both cars were able to drive off the scene) that involved a seat back failure.  The client developed a subdural hematoma and died.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Williams v. Ford (Restraint System / Seat Design), Confidential Settlement - A young man fell asleep in his car, lost control and went off the road.  He bottomed out in his seat, allowing his shoulder belt to come up around his neck.  He was rendered a quadriplegic as a result of this accident.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Other Auto Defects

Not all automotive defect cases are easily categorized.  The cases below reflect only a small portion of the general vehicle defect claims that have been litigated by Langdon & Emison attorneys.

Ludwick v. United Expresslines, Inc. (Defective RV Trailer), $2.15 million verdict - A family of four were asphyxiated in their RV trailer while attending and participating in automobile races at the Mid-American Raceway near Wentzville, Missouri.  Plaintiffs claimed that the trailer was defectively designed and manufactured and failed to incorporate warning systems for the detection of carbon monoxide gas.  This case resulted in a $2.15 million settlement.

McBee v. Featherlight (Trailer Weld Failure), $2 million verdict - A Featherlight trailer was being pulled by a Ford pickup that was involved in a head-on collision.  The Featherlight's trailer tongue broke, allowing the trailer to come through the cad and ignite the vehicle.  The driver burned to death as a result.  The jury awarded a $2 million verdict in this case.

McDowell v. Kawasaki (Defective Motorcycle Side Fairing Bracket), $1.6 million verdict - The driver of a motorcycle sustained a serious fracture of a leg because his motorcycle involved a defective side fairing bracket.  The jury awarded a verdict of $1.6 million in this case.

Morse v. Ford (Door Latch Failure), Confidential Settlement - There was a side impact at a moderate speed.  The door on the passenger side of a Ford Taurus opened and both occupants were ejected.  One suffered serious injuries while the other died.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Spurgeon v. Gilster-Mary Lee (Underride of Semi-Trailer Truck), Currently Pending - Plaintiffs rear-ended a semi-trailer truck.  The underride bar broke, allowing the car to go under the rear of the truck.  Both occupants of the car were killed.  This case is currently pending in St. Louis.

Auto Accidents

Not every auto accident injury is caused by a defect in the vehicle.  Often, injuries are caused solely by a negligent driver behind the wheel.  Our attorneys have handled many auto accident claims for our clients.  A few representative cases are listed below.

Travis v. Stone (Truck / Auto Collision), $2 million verdict - A truck/auto collision in Missouri resulted in death of the driver.  The jury awarded $2 million in Johnson, County Missouri.

Lemen v. Brett Frischer and Joker's Pizza (Auto Collision), $1 million settlement - Carl Lemen was driving to church when he was struck, broadside, by a vehicle driven by Brett Frischer, who had just finished delivering a pizza for Joker's Pizza.  Frischer testified that he did not see the stop sign until it was too late.

During the collision, Carl was ejected from his vehicle and suffered severe injuries, including a broken neck, back, collarbone, shoulder and several broken ribs.  This case resulted in a $1 million settlement.

Sullivan v. Birkholtz (Auto Collision), Confidential Settlement - A prominent Kansas attorney, Thomas Sullivan, was killed in an auto wreck at an intersection in Phoenix, Arizona.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Dangerous and Defective Products

Although Langdon & Emison has developed a prestigious reputation in automotive, trucking and railroad cases, they are not the only kinds of cases that our attorneys litigate.  We have litigated claims involving many different types of products.  The cases listed below are only a few of the many product liability case our attorneys have litigated and tried to a jury.

Mason v. Wal-Mart (Defective Fan), $6 million verdict - The Masons purchased a fan at Wal-Mart.  This fan caught fire and burned a young child to death that was sleeping in the room.  The fan did not have a cutoff device that would keep it from overheating and catching fire.  A Jackson County, Missouri jury awarded a verdict of $6 million for the family of the 14-month old baby.

Miller v. Massey Ferguson (Tractor Rollover / Lack of Rollover Protection System (ROPS), $2 million verdict - A 1966 Massey Ferguson tractor hit a hidden hole and rolled over onto a levy.  The tractor was not equipped with ROPS and the driver was killed.  The jury awarded a $2 million verdict in this case.

Bolins v. ABC Automobile Dealership (Explosion / Fire), Confidential Settlement - Bolins suffered severe burns when an employee of an automobile dealership blew up a fuel tank that was being serviced.  The explosion occurred as a result of the negligence of a service technician who used a cigarette lighter in an area where gasoline and gasoline vapors were present.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

James v. Kawasaki (Four-Wheeler Accident), Confidential Settlement - There was a failure of the front right wheel structure on a 4-wheeler resulting in ejection and paraplegia.  This case resulted in a confidential settlement.

Page v. Ameren UE (Defective Crane and Electrocution) - A crane came into contact with a high power line.  Page was injured in the accident resulting in a triple amputation.  This case is currently pending in St. Louis.