5 of the Highest Settlement Awards for 2010
December 29th, 2010. By Kristine B
Once again we find ourselves at the end of a year—and it’s been a pretty big year for lawsuits. So, in celebration of the year that was, we’ve compiled some of the biggest settlements—in terms of amount of the award or settlement—of 2010. My deepest thanks to the incredibly talented, wonderful, smart, beautiful, fantastic duo of Lucy C. and Abi K. for helping me compile this list…
Personal Injury Lawsuits
When it came to personal injury, wrongful death and negligence lawsuits, there were some pretty large awards and settlements given out in 2010.
One settlement of $176 million was approved in a lawsuit filed after a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island killed 100 people. The settlement money will go to survivors of the fire who suffered serious injury and to the children who lost parents in the fire.
Meanwhile, in one of the largest jury awards ever in the US, a jury in El Paso awarded $132 million to victims of a bus crash in which two people were killed and several others were injured. The vehicle reportedly crashed when the driver began speeding and eating at the same time. The bus rolled down an embankment.
Defective Products
Speaking of automobiles, a settlement was reached earlier this year between Volkswagen of America, Inc. and vehicle owners who said their cars leaked during rainstorms. The defective product lawsuit alleged certain Volkswagen and Audi models contained design defects that allowed water to enter the passenger component and, in some cases, damaged electronic components of the vehicle. As part of the settlement, Audi was required to pay $10,000 to each of the class representatives, $9.2 million in fees and $675,000 in costs for the class-counsel firms.
And in another defective product lawsuit, Medtronic agreed to pay $268 million to settle lawsuits regarding the company’s Sprint Fidelis Leads. The leads were alleged to have been defectively designed, allowing the wires to crack and causing unnecessary shocks to patients’ hearts.
And, in a defective drugs lawsuit, the maker of Seroquel agreed to pay 17,500 patients a total of $198 million to settle allegations that the medication caused illnesses such as diabetes.
Find us on
Archive by Category
- Accidents (24)
- Airlines (9)
- Asbestos Mesothelioma (262)
- Automotive (25)
- Celebrity (14)
- Class Action (84)
- Complaints/Comments (15)
- Consumer Fraud (84)
- Contest (2)
- Court of Public Opinion (5)
- Crazy Sh*t Lawyers See (61)
- Criminal Law (4)
- Defective Products (111)
- DePuy ASR Hip Recall (2)
- Discrimination (22)
- Drugs/Medical (248)
- Elder Care Abuse (4)
- Emerging Issues (462)
- Employment (54)
- Environment (52)
- Financial (28)
- Food Illness (15)
- Human/Civil Rights (4)
- Insecurities (5)
- Insurance (16)
- Intellectual Property (16)
- Internet/E-commerce (19)
- lawsuits (161)
- Lawyers (20)
- Lawyers Giving Back (43)
- Lex Levity (10)
- Personal Injury (106)
- Pleading Ignorance (53)
- Real Estate (2)
- Recall (6)
- Scam (3)
- Securities (13)
- Settlement (81)
- Tort Reform (2)
- Totally Tortelicious (81)
- Veterans (11)
- Whistleblower (9)
In these law suits what about the patients. Medtronic says they paid out 268 million, but it is not the patients who received the money, the ones suffering, the attorneys and insurance companies received the bulk of the money, while patients have suffered the injuries, stress, and wondering when they are going to be thrown around by the defective defibrillator and instead of replacing it or doing something about it before this should happen. They give you 400 dollars and wait for this horrible shock to happen to you, which is inevitable. Doctors were given payouts to place these devices and I know 2 people I do not believe they needed them. Then you go to see a doctor and they do not want to treat you because they do not want to be liable. What happen to humanity. You can spill a hot cup of coffee from McDonalds, which you knew was hot on you and receive millions for a burn which is not life threatening, but these devices are life threatening and you get 400 dollars and all the suffering and trusted in your doctor who was being paid a kickback to put it in you.
Maybe they should implant the defective Medtronic devices in the big wigs of Medtronic and see how that goes, in their child or their wife or husband, eye for an eye, no amount of money would compensate, but at least you would feel better they paid for what has happened to the patients and familes, instead of the insurance companies and lawyers getting the bulk of the money, and maybe the patients could enjoy a little bit of life they have left.
I too am DISGUSTED, I was implanted with B.S. ICD in 11-30-11, the first 4 months I had 53 shocks all for the wrong reasons. I had another one last month and had it removed last week It will take a year before I can live without dayly terror.