Settlements And Verdicts
Layug v. AAR Aircraft & Engine Group, Inc., et al.
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
$165,000,000 Settlement
Description:
Air Philippines Flight 541 slammed into a hill on Samal Island while on approach to landing in Davao, caught fire and disintegrated. 131 passengers and crew died in the accident, making it the largest loss of life from an airline crash in Philippine history. Nolan Law Group’s Aviation Litigation Department filed suit on behalf of 47 plaintiffs in August of 2000. The 110 individually-filed, wrongful-death lawsuits were prosecuted in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, against Chicago area companies – AAR Aircraft & Engine Group, Inc. and Fleet Business Credit Corporation. Donald J. Nolan of Nolan Law Group acted as Lead Counsel for all plaintiffs in the cases. Nolan Law Group exposed AAR’s and Fleet’s failure to equip the aircraft with an enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) and instead provided an outdated GPWS that was unsuitable for the topography of the Philippine terrain. The newer system would have given the pilots an approximate half-minute warning that they were approaching the fateful hill. The outdated system provided the pilots of Flight 541 with only a four-second warning.
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Military Contractor Plane Crash
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
$115.75 Million Verdict ($5,000,000 Pre-Impact Fright)
Description:
Crash of a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft on takeoff from Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan on April 29, 2013, that killed the entire crew. Improperly loaded and restrained cargo shifted on takeoff, causing a loss of stabilizer control, resulting in uncontrolled flight into terrain. All seven souls on board perished.
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Client v. Confidential Chicago Area Hospital
Practice Area:
Medical Malpractice
Outcome:
$8.6 million settlement
Description:
After a week of pre-trial motions, Cook County Judge Preston Jones, Jr., approved an $8.6 million settlement on October 7, 2025, for a 9-year-old boy who allegedly suffered a brain injury from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) during birth at a Chicago-area hospital. Plaintiffs claimed the injury resulted from the OB/GYN and nurses failing to properly monitor labor, delaying a C-section due to unavailable operating rooms and staff, and not acting according to hospital policy. The child was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, showing low Apgar scores and severe metabolic acidosis, leading to neurodevelopmental delays by age two. The hospital disputed causation and the need for an emergency C-section. Attorneys for the child argued the staff and hospital failures caused the injury, with prior summary judgment confirming the OB/GYN acted as a hospital agent.
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Beasley v. Presence Hospitals, PRV
Practice Area:
Medical Malpractice
Outcome:
$14,750,000 Verdict ($3 million for loss of a normal life and pain & suffering, $7.4 million for future medical and caretaking expenses, and $1,356,744.03 for past medical expenses)
Description:
Medical malpractice where the patient, who was pregnant with twins, underwent a cesarean section procedure by the obstetrician that fell below the standard of care. As a result, the patient suffered massive hemorrhaging resulting in hypoxic brain injury and seizure-like activity.
Vergara v. Confidential Hospital
Practice Area:
Medical Malpractice
Outcome:
$12,000,000 Settlement
Description:
Medical malpractice where the obstetrician and nurse failed to perform additional tests on a pregnant mother who reported that her amniotic sac had broken prior to delivery. The delay in delivery resulted in the infant suffering a severe brain disorder.
Galindo v. Clayco Construction
Practice Area:
Brain Injury
Outcome:
$6,500,000 Settlement
Description:
A construction laborer was pinned during a trenching operation, resulting in neurologic and orthopedic injuries.
Mikalauskas v. Advocate Health and Hospital Corporation, et al.
Practice Area:
Medical Malpractice
Outcome:
$6,250,000 Settlement at Trial
Description:
Medical malpractice case concerning deviation from the standard of care in the plaintiff’s labor and delivery, resulting in the infant suffering from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. The minor plaintiff suffered a profound brain injury requiring 24-hour nursing care.
Vasquez v. Walsh Construction Company
Practice Area:
Brain Injury
Outcome:
$6,250,000 Settlement on 5th Day of Trial
Description:
A construction/roofing laborer fell through a deteriorated roofing panel to the floor deck below.
Tews v. Stoxen Clinic & Drs. Stoxen
Practice Area:
Medical Malpractice
Outcome:
$3,700,000 Verdict (Record Chiropractor Malpractice)
Description:
Chiropractic malpractice leading to neurologic injury due to failure to follow the standard of care.
Pietras v. Biddle Company
Practice Area:
Brain Injury
Outcome:
$3,500,000 Verdict and Settlement
Description:
Failure of the trucking company to properly maintain the truck resulted in the driver’s fall and neurologic injuries.
Donaldson v. Harmon Grain
Practice Area:
Brain Injury
Outcome:
$3,000,000 Settlement
Description:
Head-on collision as a pick-up truck crossed the center line due to driver distraction, resulting in neurologic and orthopedic injuries.
Cuevas v. DirecTV, LLC
Practice Area:
Personal Injury
Outcome:
$2,900,000 Settlement
Description:
Defective ladder broke, which resulted in a fall and subsequent tibia fractures.
Mrowiec v. Gray
Practice Area:
Personal Injury
Outcome:
$2,000,000 Settlement
Description:
Motor vehicle accident involving a collision with a school bus that resulted in Plaintiff suffering multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures.
Sukstorf v. Hangge Uppe
Practice Area:
Brain Injury
Outcome:
$1,950,000 Settlement
Description:
Patron of bar walked through an unmarked doorway leading to a fall down service stairs in the basement.
Ali v. Advocate Health Centers, Inc.
Practice Area:
Medical Malpractice
Outcome:
$1,500,000 Verdict
Description:
Failure on the part of the hospital and the treating gastroenterologist for the diagnosis and treatment of a gastrointestinal condition, which led to the minor patient’s death.
Menini v. Redman’s Towing
Practice Area:
Personal Injury
Outcome:
$1,450,000 Settlement
Description:
Motorcycle passenger struck by a backing tow truck, resulting in a fractured ankle.
Virdi v. National Air Cargo, Inc.
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Crash of a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft on takeoff from Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan on April 29, 2013, that killed the entire crew. Improperly loaded and restrained cargo shifted on takeoff, causing a loss of stabilizer control, resulting in uncontrolled flight into terrain. All seven souls on board perished.
Coffey v. National Air Cargo, Inc.
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Crash of a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft on takeoff from Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan on April 29, 2013, that killed the entire crew. Improperly loaded and restrained cargo shifted on takeoff, causing a loss of stabilizer control, resulting in uncontrolled flight into terrain. All seven souls on board perished.
Garrett v. National Air Cargo, Inc.
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Crash of a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft on takeoff from Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan on April 29, 2013, that killed the entire crew. Improperly loaded and restrained cargo shifted on takeoff, causing a loss of stabilizer control, resulting in uncontrolled flight into terrain. All seven souls on board perished.
In re Crash of Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Nolan Law Group represented several families of the victims of the Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 crash. The issues were the subject of the 2022 documentary film “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing.”
Perez v. 2800 Limited Partnership, et al.
Practice Area:
Product Liability
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Defective grinding machine had safety interlocks that were ineffective, which resulted in a degloving injury to the plaintiff’s right arm, which got caught and pulled into the machine.
Abdalla v. Dream Occasions, Inc.
Practice Area:
Traumatic Brain Injury
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
An altar structure at a wedding broke apart and a portion thereof forcibly struck the Plaintiff, a wedding photographer, causing her significant traumatic brain injury.
Jones v. Cessna Aircraft Company
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Cessna Model 208B aircraft was not properly certified to operate in icy conditions due to defective deicing systems, which led to the pilot losing control of the aircraft and ultimately crashing into the ground in Naches, Washington, causing the passengers onboard to suffer fatal injuries.
Blockinger v. Reach Medical Holdings, Inc.
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Failure of Defendants to equip a Bell Model 222 helicopter with a proper Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) that caused the subject helicopter to strike a tower in Aurora, Illinois, causing the passengers onboard to suffer fatal injuries.
Paternoster v. Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
The DeHavilland DHC-6-100 aircraft suffered a failure and separation of certain compressor turbine blades, resulting in engine seizure, fire, crash and the death of passengers onboard the subject flight.
Dickerson v. Baxter International, Inc.
Practice Area:
Product Liability
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Decedent was administered Baxter’s Chinese-sourced heparin blood thinner for a surgery after Baxter’s initial product recall of its heparin product, but before Baxter recalled all of its heparin products from the market. Following the administration of the adulterated heparin, the decedent suffered near immediate hypotension and his heart completely emptied, leading to his death.
Villaneuva v. Cessna Aircraft Company
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Cessna Model 208B aircraft was not properly certified to operate in icy conditions due to defective deicing systems, which led to the pilot losing control of the aircraft and ultimately crashed into the ground in Naches, Washington, causing the passengers onboard to suffer fatal injuries.
Ingram v. Cessna Aircraft Company
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Cessna Model 208B aircraft was not properly certified to operate in icy conditions due to defective deicing systems, which led to the pilot losing control of the aircraft and ultimately crashed into the ground in Naches, Washington, causing the passengers onboard to suffer fatal injuries.
Naiman v. Cessna Aircraft Company
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Cessna Model 172N aircraft contained defective pilot seat tracks that caused the pilot seat to move rearward during the flight, which resulted in loss of control of the airplane which then crashed into the ground, injuring the pilot.
Pease v. Kelly Aerospace, Inc.
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Piper/P-32R-301T aircraft, manufactured with a defective Lycoming TIO 540 AHIA turbocharged engine, led to catastrophic engine failure, due to engine oil starvation and the failure of critical internal engine parts which caused the aircraft to lose power and crash into a house-trailer, resulting in the pilot suffering a traumatic brain injury, multiple fractures, and permanent disability.
In re Crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 on July 6, 2013
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
The main landing gear and fuselage of a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft impacted the airport perimeter sea wall just short of the runway while attempting to land.
Soto v. Benchmark Construction Co.
Practice Area:
Personal Injury
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Backhoe excavating equipment was negligently operated on a construction site and forcibly struck the Plaintiff, which resulted in partial amputation and a severe degloving injury to Plaintiff’s left foot and ankle.
Commerce Trust Co. v. Woodward Governor Company
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Improper rigging and setting of the power plant control mechanisms left the aircraft in a defective condition and led to the dangerously low fuel flow, asymmetrical thrust between the two engines, and a consequent loss of control of the plane. As a result, the aircraft crashed in Los Cerrillos, New Mexico, while on approach to landing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, killing the pilot and his wife.
In re Crash of TANS Peru Flight 204 near Pucallpa, Peru on August 23, 2005
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Settlement of all claims after the successful outcome of FNC motions to dismiss
Description:
Nolan Law Group represented 39 survivors and families of victims from the crash of Flight 204. All cases resolved after successfully defeating motions to transfer claims to Peru.
Coffman v. Martinair
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Cessna Citation 560 aircraft contained a defective deicing system, which did not allow the aircraft to adequately shed ice accumulating on the aircraft which caused the aircraft to crash, killing the passengers onboard.
Iskowitz v. Martinair
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Cessna Citation 560 aircraft contained a defective deicing system, which did not allow the aircraft to adequately shed ice accumulating on the aircraft which caused the aircraft to crash, killing the passengers onboard.
Nantes v. Robinson Helicopter
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement While On Appeal
Description:
Governor Rafael Nantes was killed when the helicopter in which he was a passenger crashed and burst into flames. Gov. Nantes survived the crash only to be engulfed in the post-crash fire when the fuel cells of the craft ruptured, allowing fuel to spill out into the passenger compartment.
In re Crash of Aeroflot Nord Flight 821 near Perm, Russia on September 14, 2008
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement of 41 cases
Description:
Crash of Aeroflot Flight 821 – a Boeing 737-500; due to pilot spatial disorientation and inadequate training on western-made flight instruments installed on the aircraft, resulting in the deaths of all souls on board.
In re Helicopter Crash at Kandahar Airfield on July 19, 2009
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Nolan Law Group represented six estates in the case of multiple Filipino workers who were killed in a CFIT involving Russian-made helicopter while on assignment in support of U.S. forces.
Jensen v. Modern Aero
Practice Area:
Aviation
Outcome:
Confidential Settlement
Description:
Crash on takeoff resulting in the death of the pilot due to mechanical failure of the aircraft engine.