Sample Verdicts And Settlements
- $23.5 million verdict, truck-auto crash, wrongful death, associate counsel, participated in pretrial testimony/discovery and strategy. (Bergen County, 2003)
- $21 million verdict, child services negligence inflicted damages upon a child in foster care. Infant child was improperly placed in foster care and was abused suffering “shaken baby syndrome” resulting in brain damage and multiple bone fractures. State was held liable for breaching its own procedures and regulations in child placement and required oversight. Foster parents were held jointly liable for the inflicted physical damage. (Co-counsel, Burlington County, New Jersey) (2006)
- $15 million recovery. Child born with a heart defect that required a corrective heart surgery within the first two years of life but sooner if the condition deteriorated. The condition deteriorated and the pediatric cardiologist failed to schedule the surgery in time. The child suffered a life-altering stroke resulting in substantial and permanent brain damage. (Essex County, New Jersey, 2015-2016)
- $3 million pretrial mediated settlement, medical malpractice against a major New York medical center, negligent performance of a diagnostic medical procedure that caused a stroke and partial paralysis in a 50-year-old woman. (New York County-Manhattan, New York) (2013)
- $3 million settlement for medical malpractice, failure to use noninvasive methods to investigate an urgent vascular condition resulting in an invasive catheterization and a stroke in a 29-year-old woman. (Co-counsel, Rockland County, New York)2006)
- $2.45 million pretrial mediated settlement, sexual abuse of high school student by a teacher, disease transmission and emotional injury. (Essex County, 2010)
- $1.7 million settlement, medical malpractice in failing to timely diagnose, refer and treat a patient with cardiac symptoms resulting in a heart attack and severe heart muscle damage. (Bergen County, 2004)
- $1,310 million medical malpractice verdict. Surgical error in operating to remove a gallbladder in a 34-year-old man when an uninvolved bile duct was severely damaged yet not seen so it was left in damaged. Several surgeries were required to repair the duct leaving permanent injuries. Case was tried twice three weeks each trial before a jury with the first trial ending as a mistrial due to juror deadlock. The operating surgeon was found responsible and negligent and had to pay the medical liens as well as damages caused by his conduct. (Essex County, New Jersey, October 2014)
- $1 million settlement, medical malpractice in a neurosurgical operation that caused paralysis. (Insurance policy limits) (Essex County, 2010)
- $950,000 recovery, fall down/premises liability/supermarket. Settled on the eve of trial for severe lower back injuries from a fall on a grape in a poorly cleaned area of a Stop & Shop supermarket in New Jersey. Plaintiff slipped on a grape near a checkout register that had uncollected trash and some debris on the floor that was not obvious to the customer. Plaintiff had surgeries to repair her back, she lost her job and incurred medical bill liens that had to be paid back. (Somerset County, New Jersey, 2015)
- $850,000 settlement, medical malpractice, failure of an obstetrician to heed the signs of impending delivery thereby prolonging the pregnancy resulting in an infection that caused brain injury to the child. (Union County, 1996)
- $825,000 settlement, construction site — defective tree truck, outrigger was improperly placed and had insufficient line of sight and warnings to alert workers in the area, crushed forefoot. (Warren County, 2009)
- $850,000 settlement, auto accident, injuries included fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome that caused early retirement as a librarian. (Essex County, 2005)
- $725,000 settlement, truck-pedestrian accident, pedestrian crossing street was hit by a construction truck resulting in loss of smell and orthopedic injuries. (Union County, 2011)
- $650,000 settlement, medical malpractice, failing to timely diagnose and refer for treatment a middle age high-risk male patient for treatment of cardiac symptoms substantially contributing to the necessity of a heart transplant. (Morris County, 2005)
- $650,000 settlement, medical malpractice, surgical error in which the orthopedic surgeon cut one of the ligaments during a knee operation on a 25-year-old man. Settled just before trial. (Union County, 2011)
- $500,000 settlement during trial, products liability — consumer product defect, commonly used type of sponge mop recoiled with such force that the retracting slide caught the users’ wedding band causing it to slice into the ring finger joint amputating the finger. (Middlesex County, 2009)
- $460,000 settlement for bite and scar injuries to hand and wrist, 1-year-old female plaintiff was visiting a county-operated zoo when a prairie dog known to have bitten two other visitors in the preceding two weeks leaped and bit her wrist causing permanent scarring and loss of function. (Essex County, 2008)
- $405,000 recovery for an employee in a leased public building for tripping and falling on a construction created defect in the floor that was uncorrected for 10 days. Plaintiff suffered an injury to the wrist that triggered “complex regional pain syndrome” requiring extensive care with pain management. (Union County, New Jersey, 2016)
- $400,000 settlement for burn injuries, plaintiff was a truck driver unloading chemicals and was caused to be covered with the chemicals due to poor unloading procedures by the chemical plant. (Passaic County, 2004)
- $350,000 verdict, medical malpractice, surgeon damaged a nerve that should have been protected during an operation resulting in diminished movement of the plaintiff’s arm. (Union County, New Jersey, 2002)
- $350,000 verdict, medical malpractice, failure of obstetrician in a high-risk pregnancy to heed the complaints of the mother and delayed delivery resulting in the child being born deceased — still-birth case. (Middlesex County, New Jersey, 1992)
- $305,000 settlement, car crash injuries caused to the plaintiff’s neck that required surgeries to repair. The case took a couple of years to litigate until the defense by its insurance carriers agreed to pay approximately all of the available insurance coverage. The recovery was limited due to the limited available insurance coverage. (Essex County, New Jersey, April 2015)
- $300,000 settlement, medical malpractice, wrongful death of an elderly man while in the emergency department of a medical center when the patient bled without blood replacement and prompt referral for surgical care. (Morris County, 2012)
- $100,000 recovery, car crash. Plaintiff was a college student who was a passenger in a car that was hit broadside. The air bag deployed and this caused some high-frequency hearing loss and some tinnitus in that same ear. (Passaic County, New Jersey, 2011)
- $900,000 verdict, medical malpractice, settlement in mediation with judge. Surgical error, specialized hand surgeon at a major university medical center operated on 60-year-old plaintiff’s elbow; disoriented by infection, the surgeon severed the ulnar nerve. Attempts at repair failed leaving clawed fingers. (Essex County, 2018)
- $1.9 million settlement, car crash — plaintiff was a 38-year-old passenger in a car that was rear-ended in a low-speed collision. New and extensive medical care followed ultimately uncovering spinal damage that required a surgical fusion and related medical and surgical care. Extensive exhibits in a formal presentation before a retired judge mediator led to a favorable resolution a week later. (Hudson County, 2018)
Mr. Strauss has obtained many other verdicts and settlements for his clients not listed here.