Kansas City Dangerous Products And Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorneys:

Kansas City - Nationwide
Since 2002, Stueve Siegel Hanson has vindicated the rights of its clients against some of the largest companies in the world. In fact, we have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements in dangerous products and personal injury cases, including:

Prior Case Results

Estimated $75,000,000 - $125,000,000 Settlement
Automotive Product Defect Class Action
In re: Hyundai Horsepower Litigation,

This settlement netted class relief totaling between $75-$125 million. The case was aggressively litigated over nearly two years and was fought on numerous fronts. The nationwide litigation began in September 2002 when Hyundai announced it had overstated horsepower ratings in more than 1 million vehicles sold in the United States over a 10 year period. SSH was one of several firms around the country that filed class actions against Hyundai, but in early 2003, Hyundai announced it had settled the case on a nationwide basis with two lawyers in Beaumont, Texas. SSH was part of a leadership group of interveners in Beaumont who were provided 90 days to conduct discovery and challenge the settlement.

Stueve Siegel Hanson brought a class action against Volkswagen for defective window regulators installed on nearly 1 million vehicles including 1999-2003 model year VW Golf, GTI and Jetta and 1998-2003 model year VW Beetle. Under the settlement agreement VW agreed to (1) reimburse all expenses incurred by VW owners in the past related to replacing the defective window regulators,(2) install a redesigned metal window regulator replacing any failed window regulators (which used plastic components) under an extended warranty, (3) extend the warranty for all four window regulators at issue to 7 years from the date of the car purchase. The settlement also required VW to direct mail the notice of settlement to nearly 1 million customers as well as publish a summary notice in USA Today and incur all administrative costs in for processing the extended warranty and reimbursement claims. The value of the settlement including the replacement costs and extended warranty could exceed $50,000,000.00. SSH was awarded attorneys' fees and costs in the litigation.

Stueve Siegel Hanson represented land owners and residents of Hartford, Illinois who are living on top of a four million gallon underground gasoline plume. Residents of Hartford, which is located between the refineries to the East and the Missouri River to the West, have experienced severe gas fumes in their homes, fires in water wells, and a substantial impairment to their living environment. In July 2008, the plaintiffs reached a settlement with Premcor and Shell, two of the defendants, to settle the case for $16 million. In 2009, plaintiffs reached a $19.5 million settlement with defendant BP. In 2011, plaintiffs reached a settlement of $4 million against the remaining defendants, which include Apex Oil and Sinclair Oil. The total recovery in these cases is $39.5 million.

Estimated $33,000,000 Settlement
Automotive Product Defect Class Action
Tadken v. Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Daily v. Daimler Chrysler Motors Corp.

Stueve Siegel Hanson brought this nationwide class action that involved litigation over 4 years in Missouri, Kansas and California and resulted in final court approval of a nationwide class settlement valued at $33,000,000. The case settled claims alleging breach of express and implied warranty and deceptive trade practices arising out of the alleged defective 17 inch rims installed on approximately 350,000 1997-2001 Daimler/Chrysler Avenger and Sebring Coupes and 1997-2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder vehicles. Stueve Siegel alleged that the 17 inch rims at issue were defectively designed to bend or deform to protect the fragile suspension and frame of the vehicles in question. As a result, Plaintiffs' alleged that the rims would bend during normal use of the vehicles and that Mitsubishi and DaimlerChrysler knew of this defect prior to selling the vehicles. Plaintiffs also alleged that Defendants failed to disclose this information to consumers.

$8,000,000 Jury Verdict
Semi-Truck Wrongful Death
Michelle Taliaferro, et al. v. Green Valley Transportation,

Christopher Taliaferro was traveling westbound on US Hwy 50 in Jackson County on a John Deere tractor when he was struck from behind by a semi-truck operated by Carol Klaudt and owned by Green Valley Transportation. Carol Klaudt took no measures to avoid striking Chris Taliaferro and the tractor he was driving. Chris Taliaferro died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the wreck.

The driver, Carol Klaudt, had only a few months of experience as a truck driver. She had worked as a waitress and in an office prior to becoming a co-driver with her husband. Green Valley Transportation violated its hiring requirement of two years of experience for drivers when it hired Carol Klaudt. The case was tried to a jury verdict in Jackson County, Missouri. In the first phase of the trial, the jury awarded $8,000,000 of actual damages and found that punitive damages had been proved. After the second phase of the trial in which evidence to support punitive damages was introduced, the case settled before the jury returned with the punitive damages award. Plaintiffs were Chris' wife and parents.

$6,000,000 Arbitration Award
Highway Defect Wrongful Death
Collette Harrison v. Missouri Department of Transportation,

Dr. Garth Harrison was traveling to Warrensburg to a clinic where he worked. He stopped along Highway 50 to assist a motorist who had been involved in an accident on a nasty double curve. The pavement was wet from rain. As Dr. Harrison was running along the roadway to reach the victims of the first accident, he was struck by an eastbound vehicle. Dr. Harrison died from the injuries he sustained. Dr. Harrison was survived by his wife, Collette, and their three teenage children. The claim against the Missouri Department of Transportation was arbitrated in accordance with state statute by a three judge panel that awarded damages of $6 million. Plaintiff was able to prove that there had been a large number of wet weather accidents on this same curve. Recovery was capped by the state sovereign immunity cap at $355,396.

Stueve Siegel Hanson prosecuted and settled a wrongful death case involving the death of a young husband and father. Our client was rear ended by a drunk driver while our client was stopped at a traffic signal sitting in his Jeep Cherokee. After being rear ended, our client's vehicle burst into flames and he was burned alive because he could not escape the vehicle as the doors were jammed. The case was brought against the drunk driver that rear-ended our client, the drunk driver's employer who permitted him to drive while in the course and scope of employment, the local tavern/bar that served the drunk driver all of his drinks, and the manufacturer of our client's vehicle. Our clients were awarded $5.7 million as a result of the settlement, trial and appeal.

$2,375,000 Settlement
Semi-Truck Wrongful Death
Terri Starbuck, et al. v. Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., et al.,

Terri Starbuck's daughter, Shyla Brannan, was a team semi-truck driver with her husband, Zach Brannan. While Zach was driving their semi-truck along Interstate 44, Shyla was sleeping in the sleeper birth of the truck. At the same time, a semi-truck operated by John E. Richardson and owned by Gilster-Mary Lee merged onto Interstate 44, failed to yield and collided into the passenger side of the Brannan's semi-truck. The violent collision ripped the Brannan's truck to shreds and threw Shyla from the truck. Shyla died that evening shortly after the collision.

$2,250,000 Settlement
Explosion Wrongful Death
Melinda Fisher v. Triumph Foods,

Andrew Bauer, 24 years old, died from injuries he sustained during an explosion at the Triumph Foods plant in St. Joseph, Missouri during the construction of the plant. A number of other workers were injured in the explosion. Andy's mother, Melinda Fisher, was the plaintiff. Defendants in the case included the plumbing contractor, IHP Industrial, who failed to cap a valve which allowed natural gas to escape into the plant; Triumph Foods, the owner of the plant; Epstein & Sons, the construction manager and architect and Missouri Gas Energy, the natural gas supplier.

$2,000,000 Settlement
Bicycle Wrongful Death
Barbara Hentzen, Douglas Triggs and Nicholas Triggs v. Fordyce Concrete Company,

John Triggs, a 65 year old retiree, was at the corner of 12th and Grand Streets in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, on his bicycle about to cross the street in the crosswalk. John was an experienced bicycle rider who had toured all 48 of the continental United States and had just returned to Kansas City from a bicycle tour of Europe. John wrote a book about his tour of the United States and planned to write a book about his trip across Europe. On June 9, 2006, a Fordyce Concrete Truck made a right hand turn onto Grand Street to deliver concrete to the Sprint Center construction project. The concrete truck ran over the curb with its back axle hitting John Triggs and pulling his body underneath the back tires of the truck. The driver dragged John for a block down Grand Street without realizing he had hit him. The plaintiffs were John's common law wife and his two adult sons.

$1,875,000 Arbitration Award
Highway Defect Wrongful Death
Doris Brandt v. Missouri Department of Transportation,

Carl and Doris Brandt were traveling across Missouri, with their children Beckie and David, on a vacation that they had planned for a number of years. The Brandt vehicle hit a guardrail end treatment near the Stadium Boulevard exit for Columbia, Missouri on the westbound side of I-70. The end treatment extruded briefly and then stopped extruding the guardrail. The guardrail became a spear and penetrated the passenger compartment of the Brandt vehicle killing both Carl Brandt and 9-year-old David Brandt. Carl Brandt survived the impact but was trapped in the vehicle and died shortly after he was extricated. The claim against the Missouri Department of Transportation was arbitrated in accordance with state statute by a three judge panel that awarded damages of $3.5 million. After the application of Carl Brandt's comparative fault, the damages were reduced to $1,875,000. Recovery was capped by the state sovereign immunity cap at $710,792.

$1,600,000 Settlement
Automobile Personal Injury
Bettie Welch v. Transportech, et al.,

Bettie Welch sustained severe injuries when she was ejected from her vehicle after another driver crossed the median traveling in the wrong direction on I-70. Her daughter and grandchildren also sustained injuries in the accident. Bettie Welch was in the hospital and in rehabilitation for over three months and suffered permanent, disabling injuries. Complicated insurance issues were involved in the case.

$1,400,000 Settlement
Workplace Wrongful Death
Jennifer Spellman v. Missouri Department of Transportation,

Darrell Mathia suffered life-ending injuries when he was pinned between a semi-truck and a concrete barrier while working on a highway construction project. Darrell's wife and grown children brought a wrongful death suit.

$1,200,000 Settlement
Motorcycle Personal Injury
Ericka and Radford Sparks v. Jack Herschend,

Ericka and Radford Sparks were riding a motorcycle near Branson, Missouri when lawn furniture flew out of the back of a nearby pickup truck causing them to wreck. Ericka suffered a broken ankle, cuts and bruises. Radford suffered much more severe injuries to his left leg which required a long hospitalization, multiple surgeries and rehabilitation. The Sparks case went to trial but ended in a mistrial. The case later settled.

$1,100,000 Settlement
Semi-Truck Wrongful Death
Benjamin Hartgrave, et al. v. O & S Trucking, et.al.,

Bobbi Hartgrave was traveling on Highway 54 near Eldorado Springs, Missouri on December 21, 2005, when a semi-truck driven by Michael Wilkins crossed the center-line of the highway, came into Ms. Hartgrave's lane, and collided with her vehicle. Ms. Hartgrave's vehicle caught on fire and she died in the collision.

Confidential Settlement
Wrongful Death SUV Rollover
Gustin v. Nissan, et al.,

Stueve Siegel Hanson brought this wrongful death case against Nissan Motor Co. involving the rollover of a Nissan Pathfinder. Our client's father, the passenger in the Nissan Pathfinder, was killed when his Nissan Pathfinder rolled over and down an embankment on an icy highway in Kansas City, Missouri. Plaintiff alleged various vehicle defects, including inadequate stability, excessive roof crush, airbag failure and seat belt defects. The case was settled for a confidential amount.

Stueve Siegel Hanson represented the surviving wife and family of Edwin Robinson, who was killed in an industrial accident at IBP in Emporia, Kansas. Mr. Robinson left behind his wife and children. Mr. Robinson was killed after delivering a load of structural steel to Nelson Engineering Construction, Inc. at the IBP plant in Emporia, Kansas. The steel was originally loaded onto Mr. Robinson's truck by Claussen Fabrications, Inc. While the steel was being offloaded from the truck in Emporia, Kansas, the load shifted, and a 4200 lb. beam fell from the truck and struck Mr. Robinson. The impact from the steel beam crushed Mr. Robinson to death. The steel was not loaded properly on Mr. Robinson's truck which caused it to shift during the offloading process. A piece of dunnage to the rear of the load "racked out" and onto its side, causing the steel beam to fall during the offloading process. Plaintiffs also alleged that the company that unloaded the steel at the IBP facility did so in a negligent and improper manner. The case was tried to verdict. Prior to verdict, the parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement.

Confidential Settlement
Semi-Truck Personal Injury
Theotis and Deborah Casey v. Pro Logistics, et al.,

Theotis and Deborah Casey were severely injured when Pro-Logistics' driver, George Albright, crashed into slowed traffic on I-70 in Callaway County east of Columbia, Missouri. Albright never braked prior to crashing the semi-truck he was driving into the rear of seven vehicles. His actions resulted in four deaths and three seriously injured victims. Albright was driving on a one year medical card because of a number of health problems which plaintiffs argued made him an unqualified driver under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. The case involved a number of complicated legal issues including piercing the corporate veil to obtain recovery from the assets of the parent corporation and spoliation of evidence.

Stueve Siegel Hanson sued Door Systems, Inc. and its owners for the wrongful death of Mr. Lewis. In the morning of January 4, 2006, a runaway 2-ton trailer collided head-on into Mr. Lewis' 1999 Ford Explorer and tragically decapitated and killed him while he was driving by himself in a southerly direction on US 50 Highway. The 2-ton trailer was improperly attached to a 2001 GMC Sierra pickup traveling north, on U.S. 50 Highway. The lawsuit claimed that Defendants failed to conduct even a cursory inspection of the trailer and truck prior to operating the vehicle that would have revealed the improper ball and hitch assembly, the improper installation and use of the safety chain, and the unconnected safety cable and electronic braking device on the home made 2-ton trailer. Within weeks of trial, we settled with all defendants for a confidential amount.

Stueve Siegel Hanson sued UP and others for the wrongful death of our client's son. The Plaintiff's son was killed at age 17 when he was struck by an AMTRAK train that was traveling on tracks owned, operated and maintained by Union Pacific. He was walking near the tracks on his way to work when he was struck by an AMTRAK train traveling 70 m.p.h. through a residential portion of Independence, Missouri. Plaintiff alleged that the UP knew or should have known that the public used UP's right of way in and around the area of tracks at issue for numerous years. Plaintiff alleged that: UP failed to erect fences to keep people from using UP's railroad tracks as a walkway; UP failed to erect signs to warn people not to use UP's railroad tracks as a walkway; UP failed to issue a slow order near the location where he was killed despite the local hazard of nearby housing in a residential setting and notice of prior pedestrian activity and accidents at or near the location of the accident; UP failed to keep a careful lookout for pedestrians; UP failed to warn him of their approach by blowing an emergency whistle; and UP failed to slow or stop in time to avoid killing him. Within weeks of trial, the case was settled for a confidential amount.

Stueve Siegel Hanson brought a case against several manufacturers and supplies of the cleaning solvents used by the Plaintiff. Plaintiff alleged that he developed leukemia as a result of his exposure to such chemicals. The Plaintiff began his career in the printing industry at Universal Printing Company in St. Louis city in 1963. During his employment in the printing industry, plaintiff used various chemicals supplied by defendants Chemisphere Corporation ("Chemisphere") and Superior Solvents & Chemicals ("Superior"). Plaintiff used these chemicals, or similar chemicals from other manufactures, on a weekly, if not daily, basis from 1963 to present. After numerous years of exposure to these toxic chemicals, Plaintiff was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia ("CLL"). Plaintiff alleged that his CLL was caused by exposure to benzene like products or benzene containing products supplied by defendants. Within weeks of trial, the case settled with all parties for a confidential amount.

Stueve Siegel Hanson brought a class action on behalf of consumers who purchased or leased certain GM vehicles that were factory filled with Dexcool, GM's Organic Acid Technology Long Life Engine Coolant. Plaintiffs alleged that the vehicles, as well as the engine coolant, are defective causing sludging of the cooling systems in certain vehicles and causing lower intake manifold gasket failures in certain vehicles. On March 20, 2008, the California Superior Court granted preliminary approval to the class action settlement reached with General Motors in the GM/Dex-Cool class action lawsuit. This settlement affects people who purchased or leased a "covered vehicle" anywhere in the United States other than Missouri. A separate settlement has been reached for those who purchased or leased their vehicle in Missouri, which will offer the same benefits but will be separately approved by a Missouri court.

Current Cases

Stueve Siegel Hanson is also currently seeking the vindication of its clients' rights in the following cases involving dangerous products and personal injury:

Stueve Siegel Hanson represents a Missouri statewide class action on behalf of all Missouri purchasers of Vioxx, the Cox-2 pain reliever that Merck pulled off the market after the FDA identified several misleading sales practices used by Merck to market the product.

Dangerous Prescription Drug Wrongful Death and Catastrophic Injury
Individual Vioxx Personal Injury Litigation,

Stueve Siegel Hanson is prosecuting several individual catastrophic injury cases alleging various Plaintiffs' ingestion of the prescription drug Vioxx, the Cox-2 pain reliever that Merck pulled off the market after the FDA identified several misleading sales practices used by Merck to market the product, caused various heart attacks and strokes, including wrongful deaths as a result.

Stueve Siegel Hanson is prosecuting several individual catastrophic injury cases alleging various Plaintiffs' ingestion of the prescription drug Bextra, the Cox-2 pain reliever that Pfizer pulled off the market after the FDA identified several misleading sales practices used by Pfizer to market the product, caused various heart attacks and strokes, including wrongful deaths as a result.

Stueve Siegel Hanson is prosecuting several individual catastrophic injury cases alleging various Plaintiffs' ingestion of the prescription drug Celebrex, the only Cox-2 pain reliever still on the market manufactured by Pharmacia and Pfizer, caused various heart attacks and strokes, including wrongful deaths as a result.

Stueve Siegel Hanson is prosecuting several individual catastrophic injury cases alleging various Plaintiffs' ingestion of the prescription drug Prempro, a hormone replacement therapy drug manufactured by Wyeth, caused various breast cancers, heart attacks and strokes, including wrongful deaths as a result.

Stueve Siegel Hanson represents a plaintiff who developed a plastic anemia as a direct and proximate result of his exposure to benzene in the gasoline and petroleum products spilled and leaked under the city of Hartford, Illinois. Hartford, Illinois is located near refineries, former refineries and the Mississippi River. The gasoline and petroleum products from these refineries and former refineries are and were pumped by pipeline under and near the city of Hartford to the Mississippi River. Prior to 1983, huge amounts of gasoline and petroleum products were leaked and spilled from Defendants' refineries and/or pipelines underneath the city of Hartford, so that now about 4 million gallons of commingled gasoline and petroleum products exist under Hartford, Illinois. The vapors from this waste, including toxic benzene vapors, were released into the homes of residents of Hartford, Illinois prior to and including 1984. Benzene also polluted the water in Hartford at dangerous levels prior to and including 1984. Recent government measurements of benzene levels in water and air far exceeded recognized safety standards.

Stueve Siegel Hanson represents a nationwide class of consumers who purchased or leased a 2003 Hyundai Tiburon GT. SSH was appointed co-lead counsel in a consumer class action against Hyundai Motor America alleging that Hyundai marketed and sold vehicles with defective flywheel systems. In early 2010, Plaintiffs filed a motion seeking approval of a settlement with Hyundai that if approved, would provide up to 100% reimbursement for Hyundai Tiburon owners who paid for repairs related to failures of the vehicle's flywheel system. If approved, notice related to the settlement will be provided to customers by April 2010.

Stueve Siegel Hanson represents a Missouri statewide class of consumers who purchased or leased a Volkswagen Jetta, Golf, GTI or Cabriolet model years 1995-1999. We allege that Volkswagen sold these consumers Volkswagen vehicles with defective window regulators and/or plastic window clamps requiring consumers to pay several hundreds of dollars to continually replace the window regulators. The case was recently settled for 100% reimbursement for all class members who were required to pay out-of-pocket for any window regulator that failed within the first 10 years the vehicle was in service. The parties will be submitting briefs shortly in order to get preliminary approval from the Court.

^[1] The "Prior Case Results" displayed throughout these pages represent the combined results of Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP and Henning Law Firm P.C. in Dangerous Products and Personal Injury cases.