Case Results
During the past 30 years, Langdon & Emison has won more than $750 million in verdicts and settlements while being at the forefront of many notable cases, from auto accidents, to defective vehicles and products, to trucking accident cases. Unlike many firms, we will take a case all the way to trial if necessary to ensure we get the maximum recovery possible for our clients.
Featured Cases
The Featured Cases below demonstrate our success as trial attorneys and the multi-million and million-dollar verdicts we have obtained for our clients in courtrooms across the country. The list also illustrates our deep experience and expertise across an array of personal injury litigation.
$59 million Kumar v. Toyota – Defective Vehicles
Langdon & Emison represented a car passenger whose legs were crushed and later amputated as a result of sliding under his seat belt in a wreck. Toyota’s failure to warn about the dangers of riding with a reclined seat led to Maryland’s largest jury verdict at the time.
$43.1 million Heco v. Midstate Dodge LLC et al. – Defective Vehicles
Langdon & Emison represented a woman who became quadriplegic after the seat back in her car failed when she was rear-ended while waiting at a stop light. A Vermont jury awarded our client the largest verdict in Vermont history at the time.
$26.4 million Wasilik v. Ford – Defective Vehicles
A head-on collision resulted in a fuel-fed fire when gasoline siphoned out of the fuel tank after the initial impact, causing serious burns to those involved. Our client was awarded $26.4 million for the severe burns he suffered. At the time, this tort verdict was the largest awarded in Maryland.
$23.4 million Castillo v. Ford – Defective Vehicles
A Ford Explorer rolled over several times when the left tire detreaded, causing the vehicle to tramp and skate, run off the highway and roll down a steep embankment where it came to rest after hitting a tree. The accident caused the driver to suffer catastrophic injuries and quadriplegia.
$16.9 million Martin v. Ford – Defective Vehicles
Langdon & Emison represented a Florida woman who was involved in a Windstar minivan collision that rendered her paraplegic. The legal team successfully argued that Ford failed to warn our client about the dangers of riding with a reclined seat, among other claims.
$12.5 million Mathes v. Ford – Defective Vehicles
A semi-truck hit a Ford F-150 that was then subsequently rear-ended by another vehicle, 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 million verdict for Mr. Mathes, whose son and parents burned to death in the collision.
$11.3 million Baker v. General Motors – Defective Vehicles
Two adults burned to death in a post-collision fuel-fed fire because the car was not equipped with an anti-siphoning device. This case was the 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. The jury awarded $11.3 million to the victims’ family.
$8 million George v. Johnson Controls, Inc.Brain Injuries, – Defective Vehicles
The firm successfully filed suit against a large auto seat manufacturer, on behalf of the family of a 2 year-old girl who suffered a brain injury in a rear-end auto accident. During the accident, the back of the driver’s seat broke, causing the driver’ head to hit the young girl’s head and injure her.
$7 million Reagan v. Dunaway Timber – Trucking Accidents
While exceeding federal limits on driving hours, a Dunaway Timber Company truck driver lost control of his semi-truck, crossed the centerline on a highway and struck an oncoming semi-truck, killing the driver of the oncoming truck. Our legal team successfully argued the driver of the tractor-trailer was negligent and reckless for driving fatigued. The team also showed the trucking company was negligent in its hiring practices, among other claims.
$6 million Mason v. Wal-Mart – Defective Products
The Mason family purchased a fan at Wal-Mart that caught fire and burned a 14 month-old baby child to death while sleeping in the room. The fan did not have a cut-off device that would have prevented it from overheating and catching fire. A Jackson County, Mo., jury awarded a verdict of $6 million to the family.
$4.5 million Eckerberg v. Inter-State Studio, Inc. – Trucking Accidents
A Missouri federal jury awarded $4.5 million to Langdon & Emison client and U.S. Marine Aaron Eckerberg over a commercial truck accident that caused our client to suffer life-altering injuries, including a fractured thoracic vertebrate and a mild traumatic brain injury. During the week-long trial, Langdon & Emison successfully argued that Eckerberg’s injuries were career-ending and had a significant impact on his future earnings.
$4 million Newton v. Trade Winds – Trucking Accidents
Langdon & Emison won a $4 million verdict on behalf of the family of Michael Newton, a Missouri State Highway patrolman. The trooper was issuing a ticket on the right-hand shoulder of the highway when his police car was hit from behind by a commercial truck. The fuel tank on the police cruiser was punctured and Trooper Newton was burned to death. The other occupant of the police car survived the impact with severe burns.
$2.15 million Ludwick v. United Expresslines, Inc. – Defective Vehicles
A family of four was asphyxiated in their RV trailer while attending and participating in automobile races at the Mid-American Raceway near Wentzville, Mo. Plaintiffs claimed that the trailer was defectively designed and manufactured and failed to incorporate warning systems for the detection of carbon monoxide gas.
$2 million Travis v. Stone – Auto Accidents
A truck/auto collision in Missouri resulted in death of the driver. The jury awarded $2 million in Johnson County, Mo.
$2 million Miller v. Massey Ferguson – Defective Products
A 1966 Massey Ferguson tractor hit a hidden hole and rolled over onto a levy. The tractor was not equipped with rollover protection system and the driver was killed. The jury awarded a $2 million verdict in this case.
$2 million Case against a confidential water heater manufacturer and HVAC service company – Gas Explosions
Langdon & Emison successfully obtained a $2 million recovery for a Missouri family whose home violently exploded less than 24 hours after an HVAC company worked in and around propane pipes leading into and around the HVAC unit. The legal team worked extensively with a core group of experts from across the country to determine the source of the propane link stemmed from the work performed by the HVAC service company on two separate occasions. The legal team also resolved a product liability claim against the water heater manufacturer after determining the water heater ignited the leaking propane.
$2 million Cravens v. Ryder TRS, Inc., PRI Inc. and Ford Motor Company -Trucking Accidents
Paul Cravens, while driving a rented Ryder truck, attempted to slow or stop the truck because a school bus had stopped in front of him. Cravens attempted to apply the truck’s brake, but the truck suddenly and uncontrollably accelerated. As a result, the truck struck the school bus and Cravens died in the crash.
$2 million McBee v. Featherlight – Defective Vehicles
A Featherlight trailer was being pulled by a Ford pickup that was involved in a head-on collision. The Featherlight trailer’s 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.
$1.6 million McDowell v. Kawasaki – Defective Vehicles
The driver of a motorcycle sustained a serious leg fracture during an accident because his motorcycle was equipped with a defective side fairing bracket. The case resulted in a $1.6 million jury verdict.
Why Referring Attorneys Choose Langdon & Emison
Langdon & Emison works with referring attorneys across the country to help maximize their clients’ recoveries across an array of personal injury litigation. In just the past three years, we have paid more than $20 million to attorneys who have referred cases to our firm.