Notable Cases - Alpizar Law,
Personal Injury Law Firm

Major verdicts and settlements of your experienced Palm Bay & Melbourne, Florida trial attorneys

The verdicts and settlements that a personal injury law firm achieves for its clients are often used to measure the success of that firm. However, verdicts and settlements do not always truly reflect the extent of the injuries, pain and suffering that a victim has experienced. Sometimes, even when a settlement appears at first glance to be sizeable, it doesn’t fully cover a person’s medical expenses, loss of future income, or loss of a loved one. The attorneys at Alpizar Law stress that rather than judge a law firm on these numbers, you choose a law firm that you trust and can put your confidence in.

With this said, we are proud of the verdicts and settlements that we have obtained in auto accident, insurance bad faith and other types of personal injury cases. Some of these results have been significant and precedent-setting. Many of these cases have helped change the lives of personal injury victims and their families. We are proud to have been able to help our clients move forward successfully with their recovery. To our firm, every case is equally important, and every client worthy of our best fight.

A sampling of our landmark cases, verdicts and settlements are listed here, and details given below. If you have questions about any type of case, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Tractor Trailer and Trucking

Moran Family v. Certilawn Sod Service Co.& Zurich Insurance Co. - $8,990,000 Settlement
As Mr. Moran drove to work early one morning, a tractor-trailer carrying sod pulled out onto the road in front of him. He collided with the truck and the entire cab of his pickup truck was crushed.

Basel V. McFarland Trucking Company - $6,669,000 Settlement
Basel was a passenger in a car that stopped on I-95 in Titusville, when shortly thereafter, an 18-wheel truck collided with the car, killing the driver and very seriously injuring Basel. Our firm undertook an investigation of the accident to determine who was responsible.

Twigg v. Ryder Truck Rental - $1,077,000 Settlement
Our client, a truck driver, was southbound on I-75 in a rain storm when he entered a foggy area. He collided with an overturned Waffle House truck which was blocking both the north-bound and south-bound lanes.

Kidd v. Florida Rock & Tank Lines & Alamo Rental Car Inc. - $900,000 Settlement
A tourist driving an Alamo Rental Car near Orlando negligently came to a complete stop in an ‘E-Pass’ lane of the airport toll booth. Our client, Mr. Kidd, was driving a tractor trailer and was forced to abruptly stop behind the tourist. A second tractor trailer behind Kidd slammed into his truck. This violent rear-end collision resulted in $18,000 in property damage, and permanent injuries to Kidd.

Auto and Tractor Trailer Accidents

Basel v. McFarland Trucking Company - $6,669,000 Settlement
Basel was a passenger in a car that stopped on I-95 in Titusville, when shortly thereafter, an 18-wheel truck collided with the car, killing the driver and very seriously injuring Basel. Our firm undertook an investigation of the accident to determine who was responsible.

Roth v. A-1 Rent-A-Car and E. Brown - $1,321,000 Verdict
Mr. Roth, twenty years old, was driving his motorcycle headed northbound on A1A in Cocoa Beach, FL. The defendant, a Canadian tourist who was unfamiliar with Florida laws, was driving an A-1 rental car southbound on A1A and suddenly made a left turn to enter Lori Wilson Park.

Goodwin v. Avis Rent-A-Car - $1,077,000 Verdict
Our client was driving his tractor trailer southbound on I-75 near Jasper, Florida. The defendant was driving a Ryder rental truck and collided with our client's truck. This defendant was in violation of Federal Hours of Service laws that govern commercial truck drivers use of public roads in interstate commerce.

Jane Doe v. Enterprise Rent-A-Car - $1,000,000 Settlement
Our client was northbound on A1A on her way home from Patrick Air Force Base where she worked. As she approached the area where A1A splits into two north bound lanes divided, a foreign driver of a rental car unfamiliar with the area turned suddenly south onto A1A in the northbound lane.

Kidd v. Florida Rock & Tank Lines & Alamo Rental Car Inc. - $900,000 Settlement
A tourist driving an Alamo Rental Car near Orlando negligently came to a complete stop in an E-Pass lane of the airport toll booth. Our client, Mr. Kidd, was driving a tractor trailer and was forced to abruptly stop behind the tourist. A second tractor trailer behind Kidd slammed into his truck. This violent rear-end collision resulted in $18,000 in property damage, and permanent injuries to Kidd.

Andrews v. McPartland - $825,000 Verdict
Our client, George Andrews, was driving through an intersection when driver S. McPartland made a left turn, violating his right of way and striking his vehicle. Police determined McPartland to have a blood alcohol content of .248, three times the legal limit.

Halsema v. Hertz Rent-A-Car - $800,000 Verdict
A driver of a Hertz rental car suddenly made a left turn from the far right lane of a local roadway that had two lanes going eastbound. The driver was unfamiliar with the road and mistakenly thought the left lane was a westbound lane rather than both lanes being eastbound.

Diehl v. Love - $798,275 Settlement
The defendant made a left turn at an intersection into the path of our client, who was traveling south on A1A on a motorcycle. As a result, the Plaintiff suffered a fracture of his patella (kneecap); tear of lateral meniscus; tear of lateral collateral ligament and anterior cruciate; capsular tear of left lobe of liver; spleen, large and small intestine tears; and abdominal wall laceration with rib fractures.

Useche v. West & Sea World Seafood Distributor, Inc. - $ 669,000 Verdict
Our client, Plaintiff Mr. Useche, was in his mid thirties and riding in a motor vehicle driven by his friend. Useche had his seat belt on. A Sea World Seafood truck struck the vehicle from behind , and after the accident, Useche immediately went to the local medical center with knee, back and neck pain.

Rhonda Strickland v. Allstate - Settlement
Mr. John Alpizar represented Rhonda Strickland for personal injuries that she suffered as a result of two motor vehicle accidents. The first accident occurred on February 1, 1998. Mrs. Strickland was traveling south bound on A1A in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Anthony v. Indian River National Bank and Nikola - $675,000 Settlement
On June 27, 2003, Karen Anthony was traveling northbound on Old Dixie Highway and approaching the intersection of 65th Street. As she lawfully proceeded into the intersection, she was violently struck by an eastbound vehicle being operated by Barry Nikola, an employee of Indian River National Bank.

Boyd v. Terminix - $473,000 Verdict
On July 18, 2002, Mrs. Boyd was traveling Westbound on County Road 512 in Sebastian, FL. At the same time a vehicle owned by Terminix International Company failed to observe our client's vehicle and pulled out from the South side of County Road 512 directly into her path.

Nemeth v. Siebert - $400,000 Settlement
Roberta Nemeth was a passenger in an automobile that was traveling on State Road 434 in Orange County. Christina Zimbleman pulled out froma private drive directly into the path of Mr. Nemeth. Mrs, Nemeth, who was previously injured in an on the job accident, was under treatment for back injuries at the time of this accident.

Franck v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company - $611,000 Verdict
Our client, a Palm Bay resident, was awarded more than $600,000 in damages for injuries he has been suffering from since an auto accident with an uninsured motorist in 2006.

Franchesci v. Perez - $986,000 Verdict
Our client, a Vero Beach mother, was awarded jury verdict of just under $1 million for an auto accident that left her battling severe neck and back pain on a daily basis and requiring a number of surgeries to ease her suffering.

Jane Doe v. Local Company - Confidential Settlement
The attorneys of Alpizar Law successfully settled a case for an auto accident that left a young woman suffering from neck injuries.

Cataldo v. Health First, Inc. - $2,052434.14 Verdict
Cheryl Cataldo was driving her Toyota Corolla on State Road A1A near the intersection of Coconut Drive in Melbourne, Florida, on the morning of September 23, 2005, when she was rear-ended..

Wrongful Death

J. Doe Family v. Trucking Company & Driver - $2,900,000 Settlement
A woman was driving her pickup truck with her husband in the passengers seat and children in the back seat in Newberry, Florida. The defendant was driving a 70,000-pound dump truck, and ran a stop sign, slamming into the side of the pickup truck.

Maritime

Martinez v. Cape Canaveral Cruise Line - $1,760,000 Settlement
Our client, a cruise ship worker, was injured when a fellow crew member threw a laundry bag weighing approximately 80 pounds over a railing. It struck our client on the head and knocked him to the floor.

Medical Malpractice

Kimberly Ann Sharkey and Brian Lee Davis as guardians of Spencer Brian Davis v. Sebastian River Medical Center, Blaine Lake, MD, et al - $7,075,000 Settlement
Four-year-old Spencer Davis was a victim of a series of medical misdeeds. The sorrow began when his mother, Kim Sharkey, called her obstetrician on a dark June morning in 1996 saying she was hemorrhaging.

Doe v. Hospital - $1.45M Settlement
Our client was a cancer patient who died from a fatal dosage of chemotherapy. The treating doctor confused the numbers of the prescription and gave her four times the necessary dosage. She was survived by her husband. Prior to going to trial, the attorneys of Alpizar Law negotiated a settlement for $1.45 million.

Motorcycle Accidents

Roth v. A-1 Rent-A-Car and E. Brown - $1,321,000 Verdict
Mr. Roth, 20 years old, was driving his motorcycle headed northbound on A1A in Cocoa Beach, FL. The defendant, a Canadian tourist who was unfamiliar with Florida laws, was driving an A-1 rental car southbound on A1A and suddenly made a left turn to enter Lori Wilson Park.

Dowling v. Progressive Express Insurance Co. - $1,000,000 Settlement
Mr. Dowling, 45, and his wife on their motorcycle in a group with four other motorcyclists on U.S. Highway 1 near the intersection of Chamberlin Boulevard in Fort Pierce. John Doe, the defendant and an uninsured/underinsured motorist, was making a left hand turn when he abruptly and negligently stopped his van in the Dowlings' lane of travel, causing the motorcycle to violently strike the side of the vehicle. Mr. Dowling was thrown in the air and flew over John DoeÃ¯Â¿Â½s van.

Ricci v. Bauman - $600,000 Settlement
On January 23, 1994, our client's life was changed forever. A young woman turned left in front of him on Aurora Road and caused a terrible almost head-on collision, totaling his Volkswagen and her truck. The force of the impact was so great that he needed to be extracted out of his vehicle by emergency personnel.

Insurance Bad Faith

Basel v. McFarland - $2,500,000 Verdict
Mark Basel was a passenger in a vehicle that collided with a tractor-trailer owned by McFarland & Sons, Inc. The accident occurred on I-95 in Titusville, Florida.

Doe v. Hoskins - Confidential Settlement
Our client was a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a motor vehicle accident with another vehicle in St. Lucie County, Florida. Our client suffered significant injuries.

Thompson-Vasquez v. State Farm Insurance Co. - $1,420,000 Verdict
In 2001, Patricia Thompson-Vasquez was driving with her two sons on 8th Street in Vero Beach, Fla. While stopped at an intersection, her vehicle was rear ended by a van, significantly damaging both vehicles.

Strickland v. Allstate - Settlement
Mr. John Alpizar represented Rhonda Strickland for personal injuries that she suffered as a result of two motor vehicle accidents. The first accident occurred on February 1, 1998. Mrs. Strickland was traveling south bound on A1A in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Sample v. State Farm Insurance Co. - $600,000 Verdict
Paula Sample was northbound on US1 in Vero Beach, Florida and was stopped in a line of traffic when she was violently struck in the rear by a vehicle owned by Gustavo Magana Luna and being operated by Jose Carmen Luna, and shoving her into the vehicle in front of her.

Rowe v. GEICO Insurance -$570,000 Verdict
On a rainy day in slow traffic, B. Rowe was driving on I-95. Another car came alongside Rowe's vehicle, suddenly accelerating. The car slid and swerved directly into the left side of Rowe's vehicle. As a result of the accident, Mr. Rowe suffered disk herniations of the spine, a bulging disk in the lumbar spine, headaches, and back pain.

Robin Curran v. State Farm Automobile Insurance Co. - $4,650,000 Verdict
On June 20, 2006, Robin Curran was headed southbound on Wickham Road in Melbourne, Florida, when her vehicle was struck from behind by an uninsured/underinsured motorist and suffered serious injuries.

Notable Cases - Alpizar Law, Personal Injury Law Firm