Sample Cases

Criminal Defense,Insurance Bad Faith, Wrongful Death, Personal Injury

Criminal Defense:
I have represented numerous clients that have been charged in the Federal Court system for various drug-related charges: possession, conspiracy and other enhanced punishment crimes. I have represented persons accused of criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code. I have also handled felony drug possession and conspiracy charges on the state level in various district courts throughout the state.

I have also represented a person accused of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, kidnapping, sexual assault and other serious state court crimes.

Insurance Bad Faith:
I represented the family of a businessman who died in an airplane crash, and his insurance company refused to pay the $1million face value of his life insurance policy. It claimed that there was a "rider" attached to the policy that excluded payment for a death that may occur as a result of a private airplane accident. We filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, and after trial, the jury returned a verdict that in fact the policy was in force and effect, and the family was entitled to recover the proceeds of the policy. Thereafter, rather than continuing with the second bad-faith phase of the trial, the insurance company settled on the pending bad faith claim for seven figures.

I represented a young lady who injured her hand while working for a national retail store here in Wyoming. The company that handled the health care insurance for this company's employees waited until this employee's four-year statute of limitations within which to file suit had expired, and then denied her any further benefits under the insurance policy. I filed suit on her behalf in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming against both of these entities for insurance bad faith denial of the benefits she was entitled to recover. I achieved a seven-figure confidential settlement for her.

Wrongful Death

Wrongful Death:
I represented the family of a pediatric dentist who died in a twin engine private plane crash with a medical doctor at the controls. Both doctors and their wives who were traveling with them died in the crash. I achieved a settlement for the dentist's family from the doctor's estate. I then represented the estate of the pilot doctor's wife and sued the Federal Aviation Administration for breaching its rules and regulations when it certified that the doctor was qualified to fly a twin engine aircraft in instrument conditions. This second suit brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act was dismissed as the trial judge ruled the actions of the FAA were "discretionary".

I represented the family of a lady who was killed when the pickup she was driving and the Isuzu Trooper she was pulling with a U-Haul tow dolly began swerving from side to side and she lost control and rolled both vehicles. Her two brothers, who were in her pickup, were also injured. I filed suit in the State District Court for her wrongful death and the injury to the two brothers. After extensive litigation against U-Haul I recovered significant sums that are confidential in nature for the estate and the brothers.

Personal Injury

Personal Injury:
I represented a long haul trucker who was involved in a three truck accident on interstate 80 near Rawlins, Wyoming. After the first collision, he got out of his semi to inspect the damage, and was then run down in a semi/pedestrian accident. Miraculously, he survived, and after litigating the case in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, I obtained the sum of $1.7 million for the driver and his wife.

I represented a passenger in a car in which the driver and rear seat passenger were killed on a rural Wyoming highway when an empty Wal-Mart tractor trailer jackknifed on the icy roadway. The two passengers on the far side of the automobile were seriously injured and witnessed the deaths of the driver and rear passenger. I brought suit in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming against Wal-Mart and after vigorous litigation ultimately received a confidential settlement for my client. The other surviving passenger and the estates of the two persons who died at the scene were also compensated in their separate claims.

I represented the estate of a person who died, as well as two other people that were involved in a five-car semi truck and tractor collision that occurred on I-25 north of Casper during the winter of 2000. The five cars hit ice and were involved in various minor fender benders, with the persons involved suffering only minor injuries. A semi tractor-trailer carrying Broadway sound equipment from Denver to Seattle came upon the scene of this accident, and for reasons that were never fully understood, failed to slow or stop. It caused a horrific accident in which two of the seven people involved were killed and five were injured. Neither the truck driver nor her passenger was injured. Suit was brought in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, and ultimately a confidential settlement was achieved for the estate and the two persons that were injured, as well as for the other estate for the person killed and the other three injured persons.

I represented a gentleman who suffered a very serious closed head injury as a result of a motorcycle- drunk driver accident. Immediately after this wreck our client's wife and two young daughters came upon the scene of his wreck and saw his mangled motorcycle, and witnessed him laying grievously injured on the roadway. Because of this, they too brought claims against the drunk driver and the pharmaceutical company he was working for at the time of the wreck. I reached a confidential seven figure settlement for this family.

I represented a young boy who fell from a tall slide on his school playground onto the asphalt that had been placed beneath the slide by his school district. As a result of the fall, he suffered a significant closed head injury. I brought suit in United States District Court for the District of Wyoming. After six days of trial, and before the case went to the jury I reached a confidential settlement with all defendants.