STIPE-HARPER LAWFIRM HIRES TWO NEW ATTORNEYS
Our firm is pleased to announce that Brandy Bridegroom and Kellie Michelle Nelson are new personal injury attorneys with the firm. Brandy practices in our Tulsa office and Kellie practices in our McAlester office.
Brandy was raised in McAlester, OK and graduated from McAlester High School in 2000. She attended the University Of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in Edmond and obtained a degree in Business Administration with Legal Studies (Cum Laude) within two years of her graduating high school. At UCO, her honors included National Deans List, Outstanding Academic Performance for the College of Business Award, Southwest Airlines Scholarship, Kathy Giladay Shields Memorial Scholarship and a Management Scholarship.
Brandy attended the University Of Oklahoma College Of Law and was awarded a Juris Doctorate Degree in May of this year. At OU, she was a College of Law Sequoyah Merit Scholar and was on the Editorial Board of the American Indian Law Review. Brandy recently passed the Oklahoma Bar Examination.
Kellie also grew up in McAlester, OK. She attended McAlester High School and graduated in 1996. Kellie attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated with Honors in 2000 with a B.A. in Public Administration. She was the American Indian Freshman of the year in 1996 and was a Phillips Petroleum Scholar. Kellie attended Southern Methodist University Dedmond School of Law in Dallas, TX and obtained a Juris Doctorate Degree in May of this year. Kellie recently passed the Texas Bar Examination and will sit for the Oklahoma Bar Examination in February 2006.
RECENT VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS
Jury awards $1 million
On July 26, 2005, Mark Edwards of Stipe, Harper, Laizure, Uselton, Edwards & Belote received a $1 million jury verdict in Hughes County, Oklahoma, against a trucking company. This is Mark's second million-dollar-or-more verdict in the past couple of years.
This case involved a truck driver who swerved into oncoming traffic and hit our clients head-on. One of our personal injury clients suffered broken ribs and damage to his upper back, and the other client suffered permanent damage to her neck and lower back. Our clients wanted to settle their case without going to trial, but the insurance company refused to negotiate. With interest and costs, the $1 million verdict is now in excess of $1,175,000. The verdict is believed to be the largest civil verdict in Hughes County in a personal injury case.
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE SETTLEMENT
Botched gall bladder surgery
Scott Allen in our Tulsa office recently settled a personal injury lawsuit where his client underwent laparoscopic gall bladder surgery. During the surgery, the surgeon cut the common bile duct in half. The common bile duct should not be injured during this surgery, and doing so often represents malpractice on the part of the doctor. The client underwent a difficult repair by another surgeon, and has recovered well. After a lawsuit was filed, and the doctor's deposition taken, the case was settled at mediation for a substantial amount. At the request of the doctor, the settlement amount is confidential.
PREMISES LIABILITY SETTLEMENT
Person injured after falling at Tulsa State Fair
Tony Laizure, managing partner of our Tulsa office recently settled a case against the operator of an amusement ride at the Tulsa State Fair. In October 2003, our client was visiting the Tulsa State Fair with her family. Her son wanted to look at one of the amusement rides. The mother and son walked up the stairs to take a closer look at the ride. As she reached the top of the stairs, our client put her hand on the railing and it flew open, causing her to fall several feet to the pavement below. The operator of the amusement ride failed to take precautions to secure the railing and it swung open like a gate, causing our client to fall.
Her heel was fractured into several pieces. She underwent extensive surgery and had several screws and plates inserted into her heel. Her injuries forced her to give up her job as a healthcare professional. She sustained very serious and substantial damages, both economic and non-economic.
Suit was filed after attempts to settle the case failed. During the discovery part of the case, it was learned that the Oklahoma Department of Labor was on the scene almost immediately after the accident. They performed a thorough investigation and took several photographs of the ride. The conclusion of the Department of Labor was that the ride operator had failed to properly maintain the ride, which in turn caused our client to fall and sustain injuries.
The case settled at mediation. At the request of the defendants, the amount of the settlement is confidential.
MOTORCYCLE - TRUCK COLLISION SETTLEMENT
Jack Stipe and James Belote of our Oklahoma City office recently settled a lawsuit involving a motorcycle - truck collision. Our client was driving his motorcycle through an intersection when he was broad-sided by the defendant's vehicle. Our client received serious injuries requiring multiple surgeries. The lawsuit was settled after two years of litigation.
