Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Florida Man Gets $157M from Tobacco Companies After Death of Husband
A Florida jury has just awarded a man $157 million after his husband died of lung cancer caused by years of smoking cigarettes. It is believed to be one of the first wrongful death cases filed against a tobacco company and involving a same-sex couple. This is significant because prior to the Supreme Court… Read More »
Assisted Living Center Gouged For $6M in Wrongful Death
The family of Kathleen Menard filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Port St. Lucie Retirement Investors that run The Harbor Place in Port St. Lucie. The jury returned with a $6M verdict to be paid out to Kathleen Menard’s surviving children. According to the lawsuit, Kathleen Menard had a pendant which she could… Read More »
Connecticut Supreme Court Dismisses Sandy Hook Wrongful Death Suit
The Connecticut Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit against the Sandy Hook school district. A lower court of appeals said that the district was protected by sovereign immunity laws. The decision could have an impact on survivors of the Parkland shooting and the parents who lost children in the attack. As of… Read More »
Boy Killed in Tim Horton’s Grease Trap
The mother of a three-year-old boy has filed a wrongful death lawsuit after her son died in a grease trap outside of a popular fast food restaurant in Upstate New York. Police called the death a terrible tragedy but stopped short of filing charges against anyone. The boy’s mother was an employee of the… Read More »
Futuristic Doors Blamed for Death of Tesla Driver
The family of a man killed in a Tesla Model S has filed a lawsuit against the company alleging that Omar Awan was killed because the futuristic doors on his vehicle refused to open. According to reports, Awan careened off the road and into a palm tree after which, the lithium-ion battery inside his… Read More »
JUUL Faces First Wrongful Death Lawsuit
A Florida woman is the first to file a lawsuit against JUUL, the manufacturer of popular vape products. According to the woman, her son died as a result of the e-cigarettes at the age of 18. As the first lawsuit of its kind, personal injury attorneys and those affected by e-cigarettes will be watching… Read More »
Parasite Found in Basil Spurring Lawsuits
While the contaminated basil has been found all over the U.S., there are at least three cases here in Jacksonville linked to a specific restaurant that served fresh basil contaminated with the cyclospora parasite. Each of them got sick after eating at Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant. Across the U.S., 132 have been sickened… Read More »
Teen Kills Himself After Confrontation About Sex Video
Laws on the books targeting teenagers who send sexual images of themselves or take video of themselves in sexual positions have long been the cause of controversy. Teens are being prosecuted under the same criminal statutes that pedophiles are charged under for making and producing sexually explicit images of minors. Yet the same legislation… Read More »
Man Killed by Keyless Car
No, it’s not like that Stephen King movie where the machines come to life and attack humans. This car was more insidious. According to his wife, Russel Fish was found dead in his bedroom with his dog who was also killed. Fish parked his keyless Toyota in his garage and then went to sleep… Read More »
Four Motorcycles Involved in Two Accidents on the Same Day
In early April, there were two accidents involving four motorcycles that left their riders in critical condition. While motorcyclists are often blamed for traffic accidents, the truth is often just the opposite. Since motorcyclists have a reputation for being thrill seeking adrenaline junkies, the theory goes that they often put themselves at unnecessary risk… Read More »
