Teen-aged girl partially paralyzed in an auto accident
19-year-old AJJ was ejected from the back seat of a car as it went off the road and into a small pond. AJJ was trapped underneath the submerged vehicle until she was rescued and pulled to safety. After being airlifted to the hospital AJJ was diagnosed with a serious spinal cord injury resulting in partial quadriplegia.
At the time of the accident the at-fault driver maintained a minimal policy of insurance with liability limits of $50,000.00. AJJ had underinsured motorist coverage with limits of $250,000.00. AJJs parents believed they had an umbrella policy in effect with Farmers Insurance Group that would cover the excess damages to AJJ. However, it was later discovered that while an application for the umbrella policy had been filled out it was never submitted by the Farmers Insurance agent in order to procure coverage. Walsh & Gaertner was able to obtain an additional settlement from Farmers Insurance from an umbrella policy that was never put into effect and no premium ever paid.
Twenty-one year old male killed in rear-end collision
21-year-old BDS was killed on his way to work at 7:00 a.m. near St. Cloud, Minnesota. BDS was rear-ended at a stoplight by a vehicle traveling 80 plus miles per hour. At the time of his death BDS was single, living at home with his parents and working as a cement mason.
Retired executive suffers 3rd degree burns from wet cement
JA, a retired food service executive, sustained third-degree chemical burns while assisting in the pouring of a concrete subfloor in a crawl space at his son's home. JA contacted Cemstone to deliver and pour the cement. However, upon arrival Cemstone informed JA that he was required to participate in the pouring and finishing of the concrete.
Cemstone failed to warn JA of the toxic nature of wet cement and its employee failed to protect JA from the potential and harmful burns. After the pouring of the wet cement AJ suffered third-degree burns to his upper and lower legs, hands and forearms. Walsh & Gaertner was able to recover a settlement for JA as result of the chemical burns he suffered because of Cemstone's negligence.
Man involved in a severe motor vehicle accident
A middle aged gentleman was involved in a severe motor vehicle accident. He sustained several broken bones requiring surgery, lost his job due to his injuries, and moved out of the Twin Cities because the media blamed him for the accident which resulted in two deaths. He consulted three different attorneys near his new home in southern Minnesota. Each attorney told him he had no chance of winning his case. He contacted Walsh & Gaertner after learning of a large settlement our firm obtained for one of his friends.
Walsh & Gaertner agreed to help this gentleman. His life was turned upside down due to the motor vehicle accident and no one was willing to help him. There were many insurance companies involved in this case. Each insurance company hired a lawyer who fought hard to get the case dismissed. Walsh & Gaertner refused to back down. After conducting a thorough investigation and convincing the judge our client had valid claims, all three insurance companies made a global settlement offer to settle our client's claim.
College student injured riding on the back of a motorcycle
A young college student was injured while riding on the back of a motorcycle. She was told the motorcycle driver was at fault and he did not have insurance. Therefore, she felt she did not have a claim and wondered how her medical bills would get paid.
Our staff immediately began to investigate the facts and hired an accident reconstructionist to help determine how the accident occurred. Our accident reconstructionist determined that another vehicle involved in the accident was at fault for the collision. The insurance company for this other vehicle disagreed and indicated that the investigating police department would support its position. The insurance company waited for the report for several months. The police department eventually indicated that it lost all of the data and could not prepare a report. Because Walsh & Gaertner hired its own expert, gathered important information, and interviewed witnesses, our client was able to obtain a substantial settlement for her injuries.
Teenagers involved in a head-on motor vehicle accident
A group of teenagers from Minnesota made a road trip to Wisconsin and were involved in a head-on motor vehicle accident with a driver from Georgia. The teenagers' vehicle rolled over several times and three passengers were ejected from the vehicle. It was unclear who was driving at the time of the accident. There was limited insurance coverage for all the injured passengers. Walsh & Gaertner was able to convince the insurance company and the lawyers who represented the individuals from Georgia that its clients were entitled to a larger portion of the insurance money available. The judge later approved the favorable allocation of the insurance proceeds.
Young girl struck by a vehicle crossing the street
A third grade girl was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street in front of a school bus. The driver of the car which struck her did not have insurance. Walsh & Gaertner's investigation revealed that the girl was dropped off at the wrong bus stop. This required her to cross a very busy street. We pursued a claim against the bus company for the driver's failure to stop at the correct bus stop. Our claim was successful resulting in all medical bills getting paid. Moreover, a large sum of money will be available to our client's daughter when she becomes an adult.
Elderly woman falls due to ice on the sidewalk
An eighty-five year old woman fell due to ice on a sidewalk. She fell backwards and got her leg caught underneath her. As a result, she fractured her leg which required an extensive surgery to repair. Her claim was denied by the landowner's insurance company. Therefore, she hired Walsh & Gaertner who immediately commenced a lawsuit. Prior to trial, a settlement was reached with the insurance company. The settlement money paid all medical bills and will provide extra money each month to an individual on a fixed income.
Friends involved in an automobile accident
Three friends were involved in an accident while returning home from a weekend bachelor party. Walsh & Gaertner represented all three individuals. We find it extremely beneficial to have one firm represent all the injured parties. Our firm often represents the driver and all the passengers. It was important to represent all three friends due to the various insurance issues. We were able to work with all three families and the four insurance companies involved to reach an agreement on how to divide up the insurance proceeds.
Young boy struck by a vehicle crossing the street
A four-year old boy was struck by a car while crossing the street near a park. The police report said he darted out into the roadway. A witness was identified on the police report. However, the police officer did not get the correct address or telephone number for the witness. In order to obtain any type of success, we needed to find the witness before the insurance company. Insurance companies are very creative and are able to twist the facts and obtain favorable statements for their insured drivers. It was a race to find the witness. Walsh & Gaertner won the race thereby obtaining a favorable statement from the witness which led to a very large settlement. A special structured settlement was set up by Walsh & Gaertner which will make payments to the young boy over his lifetime.
Young boy run over by a bus
After exiting a school bus, a young boy was tragically killed when the bus ran over him. Our firm was retained by his family to handle the wrongful death claim. We have many years of experience working on wrongful death claims. Our firm negotiated a settlement for the maximum amount of money available for a wrongful death action pursuant to Minnesota Law.
Passenger killed in a car crash
A car crash occurred in Wisconsin late one summer evening. The driver was unable to negotiate a turn and went off the road down a hill and eventually crashed into a tree. The passenger died as result of a head injury. Walsh & Gaertner was retained to represent the family for the wrongful death claim. This case presented many challenges due to disagreements amongst the family members. We were able to get all the family members on the same team and obtain a wrongful death settlement for the family.
Father killed in a car crash
A family contacted us after their father was killed in a car crash. For the first six months, they tried to handle the wrongful death claim on their own. A friend told them the insurance company will pay the policy limits and therefore you do not need a lawyer. The battle with the insurance company became so difficult the insurance company adjuster actually recommended to the family that they retain our firm for the wrongful death claim.
