Three Real-Life Personal Injury Cases That Changed America
Personal injury law covers many different situations and helps many different types of victims. Get informed by learning about some of the most famous real-life personal injury cases that have changed America:
Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants
On February 27, 1992, a 79-year old woman named Stella Liebeck visited a local McDonald’s drive-through as a passenger in her grandson’s vehicle. Liebeck ordered a cup of coffee and her grandson parked in the parking lot after receiving the cup so Liebeck could add sugar and cream. Having the cup between her knees, Liebeck was seriously burned after the coffee spilled onto her lap when she tried adjusting the lid. Liebeck suffered from third-degree burns due to the 180–190°F temperature of the liquid and tried to settle with McDonald’s for the cost of her medical bills, but was dismissed by the company. A jury decided that McDonald’s was mostly responsible for the incident.
Jesica Santillan
In 2003, a teenaged girl named Jesica Santillan was admitted to Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina as a result of complications due to restrictive cardiomyopathy and secondary nonreactive pulmonary hypertension. Santillan was scheduled for a heart and lung transplant on February 7, 2003. Though Santillan had type O-positive blood, the organs she received were type A. After the mistake was made clear, Santillan received another new heart and lungs that matched her blood type. Unfortunately, the procedures were not successful and Santillan was declared brain dead on February 21, 2003.
Diane Whipple
On January 26, 2001, Diane Whipple suffered from fatal dog bites and other injuries after being attacked by one or two dogs belonging to her apartment complex neighbors. Marjorie Knoller and husband Robert Noel owned two Perro de Presa Canario dogs named Bane and Hera. After coming across Diane Whipple in the hallway, at least one dog attacked Whipple, causing severe injuries all over her body. Whipple died as a result of these injuries, and Knoller and Noel started a decade of legal trouble both from Whipple’s partner and the state.
Contact The Hameroff Law Firm, P.C. to learn more about personal injury law in Tucson. Give us a call at (520) 792-4700 or visit our personal injury website!
