Significant Cases: James S. Ballentine

Description:
A 16-year-old teenager suffered a traumatic brain injury during a private school physical education golf class when she was struck in the head by a golf ball hit by another student. The school asked the court to dismiss the case claiming that the girl had assumed the risk of injury. A federal court judge denied the school's request because the school had a duty to provide a safe class environment. In fact, questions existed about whether the school did so. The case later settled for $10 million.

Description:
The case involved an elderly woman who was a passenger in her daughter's car. It was hit head on by a car which had been racing another car and lost control.

Description:
A construction project contractor piled a shipment of roof trusses in a vacant lot. The trusses were piled one on top of the other in rows. An 11 year old girl and her little brother were playing among the trusses when a pile of trusses fell on her crushing her to death. Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben sued the general contractor, the subcontractor, and a government agency which was involved in the building project. Liability and damages were disputed. Jim Schwebel and Jim Ballentine achieved a settlement of $900,000 for the girl's parents and siblings.

Description:
The case involved a plaintiff who was rear-ended at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue South at West 22nd Street in Minneapolis. The force of the collision pushed the plaintiff's car into the stopped vehicle in front of her. The plaintiff's vehicle was a total loss. The plaintiff was removed by back board to the emergency room at Fairview Riverside Medical Center.

Description:
The case involved a 32-year-old female nursing student who was rear-ended by another vehicle while stuck in traffic.