William E. Jepsen

Settlement - $ 2,141,000.00 

Description: The plaintiff was brain injured and died when he was pulled off his motorcycle when a truck pulling part of a modular home hit an overhead wire. He was self-employed and showed very little income on his tax returns. He is survived by his wife, a twin brother and his parents who had not spoken to him in many years. He was 44 years old. While part of the case was on appeal to the United States Court of for the 8th Circuit the case settled.

Settlement - $ 1,700,000.00 

Description: While undergoing an anterior cervical fusion, the doctor was performing an intraoperative CT myelogram and injected die into plaintiff's spinal cord causing brain damage and quadraplegia. There was only $2,000,000 in coverage and plaintiff was in the hospital with aspiration pneumonia. The matter settled for $1,700,000.

Settlement - $ 1,100,000.00 

Description: This case involved the labor and delivery of a child. The fetal heart monitor showed early signs of fetal distress and the doctor failed to perform an early cesarean section. A cesarean section was eventually performed and the child was born, but suffered brain damage with residual spastic quadriplegia and mental retardation. The settlement was structured to provide a lifetime of care and support for the child.

Settlement - $ 750,000.00 

Description: The plaintiff was 72 years old and on social security disability. He was a passenger in his car which was being driven by his daughter who was a Canadian resident. They ran off the road and hit a tree in Michigan. The plaintiff's Minnesota no-fault insurance became Michigan coverage which is unlimited medical. They paid over $400,000 in medical. The plaintiff sustained a fracture of his C-4 vertebrae which healed, but left him with some neurological deficit in all four quadrants. He collected $50,000 of liability coverage from his insurance. His daughter had $1,000,000 of coverage in Canadian dollars which at the time was equal to $730,000 US. After obtaining jurisdiction over his daughter in Minnesota her carrier paid an additional $700,000.

Settlement - $ 749,318.38 

Description: This case involved an 18-year-old woman who pulled from a stop sign and was struck by a speeding pick up truck. She sustained brain damage, but is able to take care of her daily cares. A settlement was placed into a structured settlement in a special needs trust that will provide for the special needs of the client for the remainder of her life.

Settlement - $ 475,000.00 

Description: This case involved a claim by the pilot and co-pilot of a commuter plain that flew from Appleton, Wisconsin, to the Twin Cities and then on to Lincoln, Nebraska. In route to Lincoln, Nebraska, it flew into a level six thunderstorm. Its engines drowned out and the plane crashed in eastern Nebraska killing the pilot and co-pilot. A claim was brought against the FAA for negligent air traffic control and not re-routing the plane around the thunderstorm. After three weeks of trial the case settled while the Judge had the matter under advisement.

Jury Verdict - $ 461,000.00 

Description: The case involved a welder who was violently rear-ended by the defendant who had the sudden onset of diabetic shock. The plaintiff suffered a herniated L5-S1 disc. He had surgery in the form of a fusion which did not solidify. He had a second surgery to do a posterior fusion. At the time of trial he was in school being retrained for a new occupation. It was proven that while the defendant had a sudden diabetic shock, he had not been treating with his doctors or following his doctor's advice and this had resulted in his being the end stage of kidney failure. The jury awarded the plaintiff $461,000.00. There was a net judgment including costs in the amount of $359,000.00. The defendant's insurer had rejected the opportunity to settle for the policy limits of $100,000.00 at the pretrial. The defendant has assigned his rights as a result of the breach of the fiduciary duty by his insurance company to the plaintiff. The claim against the insurance company for breaching fiduciary duty is in suit at this time.

Jury Verdict - $ 280,000.00 

Description: The plaintiff fractured her ankle and had surgery at a rural hospital. While recovering she aspirated and suffered a mild brain injury.

Settlement - $ 275,000.00 

Description: The case involved a six-year-old girl who was bitten on the cheek by her grandfathers black Labrador. She had a rather long curved scar on her cheek that required numerous stitches. The medical expenses were $1,800.00. A plastic surgeon examined her and indicated that after she was through adolescence there could be a revision done that reduces the visibility of the scar, but it would always be present and quite noticeable. The matter was settled for a payment of $275,000.00.

Settlement - $ 150,000.00 

Description: This case involved a young man who sustained very severe injures. There was only a combined $150,000 of liability coverage and in underinsured motorist coverage. At the time of the accident he lived with his mother who was divorced. He was insured through a group health plan by his mother and was also covered under and ERISA health plan through his father's employer. The ERISA health plan paid $118,000 of medical expenses and was claiming a first priority subrogation claim against the $150,000 of coverage. A declaratory judgment action was commenced against the health insurer and the ERISA plan seeking a determination that the health insurer should have paid the bills and should reimburse the ERISA plan. The matter was settled by the health insurer reimbursing the ERISA plan 90 percent of their payments. The ERISA plan accepted this as full satisfaction of their subrogation interest and the health insurer agreed that the client was not fully compensated and accordingly they had no subrogation interest in the $150,000 of insurance coverage, which was then able to be paid to the client.

Settlement - $ 130,000.00 

Description: An eleven year old girl's grandfather allowed her to operate an ATV in a trucking company yard. She lost control and hit a trailer. She sustained a laceration of her nose forehead and chest.

Jury Verdict - $ 100,000.00 

Description: The plaintiff was a passenger in her mother's car that was struck head on. She sustained an anterior compression fracture of her T-11 vertebra. She had no surgery. She collected $20,000 of no-fault medical and the $30,000 of liability coverage on the car that hit her. She then obtained a jury verdict that allowed her to collect all of her $100,000 of underinsured motorist benefits.

Settlement - Confidential 

Description: This case involved claims by 51 families against a doctor and a hospital. The doctor was mentally ill and was routinely misdiagnosing the children with primary immunodeficiencies. They were placed on intravenous immune globulin infusions every 28 days. They were restricted in their activities, but sustained no physical harm as a result of the treatment.