Verdicts & Settlements

Failure to diagnose stroke. $1,350,000 settlement.

Our client’s young wife went to a walk-in medical clinic with a severe ear infection and early indications of meningitis. The doctor failed to diagnose her condition or give proper follow-up instructions. The condition worsened and she died. Our investigation proved that there were additions made to the medical record. We reached a confidential settlement.

Our client’s husband went to his family physician on a Tuesday morning with classic signs of a possible heart attack. A cardiac referral was made but scheduled for Thursday. He died of a heart attack Wednesday evening. We alleged an early referral would have allowed for treatment and our client’s husband would not have died. The case settled on the eve of trial for a confidential sum.

Confidential settlement where the hospital nurse injected medication into a vein instead of a muscle causing our client’s husband’s death.

Confidential settlement where the hospital nurse failed to identify postoperative bleeding and the elderly patient died.

Jury verdict of $1,200,000 for a client who sustained burn injuries when his lawn mower ignited during fueling due to a defective mower switch.

Mr. Hinkle represented dozen of women who were victim of this defective intrauterine device which caused pelvic infection and infertility.

Multiple million dollar settlements for clients who sustained injury from a contaminated food supplement.

Confidential settlement of $712,500 against several defendants involving the rollover of a pickup truck.

Our client sustained neck and back injury when a conveyor in a paint shop dropped a heavy tie bar on him when a swivel stuck. Mr. Hinkle used the designer and manufacturer of the product, which was not sold with safety chains. After our client’s injury the owner of the assembly line installed safety chains.

Residential fire due to incomplete construction. $1,200,000 settlement.

Our client was injured in a fall from his dorm as he followed a FAMU tradition of climbing up the outside of the staircase. We admitted that he was comparatively at fault. Mr. Hinkle, Ms. Foran and Mr. David Frank worked together to obtain a jury verdict totally apportioning liability and awarding damages of $5,000,000. Whether the State could be held responsible for its negligence was the subject of an appeal and the First District Court of Appeal reversed the jury’s verdict and declared the State immune from liability.

Our client was beaten because the service station where he worked did not have adequate security measures. The regional oil company had the contractual right, and thus the duty, to make improvements to the premises. At Mr. Hinkle’s request, the jury returned a verdict of $1,000,000.

Significant settlement for a young man who suffered a spinal cord injury after he dove into a neighbor’s pool. The pool bottom has a “pebble” pattern what camouflaged the “break point” between shallow and deep. Although our client had been in the pool many times (and watched it being built) we used experts on vision and judgment to show that the design was a dangerous trap for a teenage boy. Mr. Hinkle settled the case prior to resolution.

Jury verdict of almost $1,000,000 for a neck injury sustained by a client who dove off a dock into deceptively shallow water.

Ankle injury settled for a total of $513,000.

Rear-end collision by Deputy Sherriff, resulting in neck fusion surgery. Settlement of $230,000.

Wrongful death claims for migrant workers killed in truck versus van collision. Settlements total $1,200,000 (U.S.)

Settlement of $525,000 in a case involving a $50,000 policy when the insurance carrier failed to settle when it could and should have done so.

Settlement of $5,500,000 with an insurance company who had issued a $50,000 policy. Insurance company failed to settle the case when it could and should have done so resulting in excess award against their insured.

An 18-year-old high school student was sold beer at a drive through window of a rural package store. He became intoxicated and crossed the centerline striking our client’s vehicle. Our client was in a chronic vegetative state for many months before eventually succumbing to her injuries. Our investigation determined that the female manager often served minors. The cases against both the student driver and the liquor store settled for several million dollars. The careful use of trusts, guardianships and structured settlements allowed us to provide for the client’s immediate needs (prior to her death) and the future of her child.

An underage drunk driver who ran a stop sign killed our client’s husband. Our investigation identified the source of his alcohol and interviews with other young people proved that the store often sold to minors. We actually found high school cheerleaders who testified that they bought beer on game nights while wearing their high school cheerleading uniforms. The case settled on the eve of trial for more than $1 million.

Following six years of litigation and a week long trial in United States District Court in Palm Beach County, Florida, Mr. Hinkle obtained a jury award of $2,000,000. For seven years, our clients, husband and wife, operated an outstanding child day care center in Palm Beach County without any complaints or allegations of improper conduct or any kind. This all changed when a Palm Beach County Sheriff was “too quick on the trigger” and arrested D.R. on a capital felony, without probable cause, violating his Fourth Amendment rights. Unfortunately the District Judge and Court of Appeals ignored the jury’s findings and a judgment was entered for the Deputy finding he had sufficient cause as a matter of law.

Our client’s child went to a water park with an Aunt. The child did not swim well but got into the “wave pool.” Poor lifeguard supervision allowed the child to drown. A lifeguard saw the child on the bottom of the pool but thought he was a towel. Mr. Hinkle achieved a confidential settlement prior to even filing suit.

Our client’s anti-seizure medication was mistakenly filled with high blood pressure medicine. She suffered dehydration and may have had a seizure. The trauma left her with psychological residual effects. A Leon County jury returned a verdict of $177,718.86.