Montana Jury Awards $1.6 Million for Slip and Fall Case

Posted on October 31st, 2009 in Premises Liability | No Comments »

A jury has awarded a former Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad conductor $1.6 million after he slipped and injured his back at a rail yard in Whitefish.

The jury determined Thursday night after a four-day trial that BNSF was 85 percent to blame for the early 2006 accident while conductor Patrick Cheff was 15 percent to blame.

Montana Injury Attorney Terry Trieweiler said that his client was injured because he slipped and fell while entering a locker room.

Montana Jury Awards $3.2 Million Against Zometa Manufacturer

Posted on October 21st, 2009 in Defective Products | No Comments »

Pills A Missoula, Montana jury awarded $3.2 million to Peggy L. Stevens who was suing Novartis Pharmaceuticals, alleging that they should have disclosed health risks associated with the bone-strengthening drug called Zometa.

Stevens claims that the company knew patients taking Zometa were at risk to develop a degenerative jaw disorder called osteonecrosis which can result in pain, loosening of teeth, exposed bone and infection.

The jury awarded Stevens $822,000 in lost income with the rest of the award intended to compensate Stevens for pain, emotional suffering and alteration to her normal course of life.

Terry Trieweiler, the Montana Injury Attorney representing Stevens is quoted as saying, “I think it will have a huge significance,” when asked how he thought this verdict would effect the approximately 550 plaintiffs whose cases have been consolidated in a Tennessee federal court and a New Jersey state court.