$10.5 Million Settlement (Wrongful Death)

BLG, led by Howard Butler, represented the sole statutory survivor in a wrongful death case arising from a fatal elopement from a memory care facility. The case was settled shortly prior to trial and the recovery is a record-breaking result involving a single death of an 85-year-old man with a single survivor claim. (Certain information is confidential) Cameron Kennedy of SDSBS served as co-counsel.

4 Jury Verdicts in 2023

BLG secured 4 back to back jury verdicts in 2023 for clients (all 6 & 7 figure results including 3 excess verdicts) which were defended by Florida’s largest Insurance Defense Firms. Of these 3 have now been paid in whole or substantial part and the other is currently the subject of a bad faith claim.

$4.9 Million Settlement (Wrongful Death)

BLG, led by Howard Butler, represented the sole statutory survivor in a wrongful death case arising out of a fatal boat crash. After successfully overcoming a Federal Limitation of Liability Action filed by the boat owner(s) and collecting their available policy limits suit was filed against multiple establishments that served the intoxicated driver by BLG and co-counsel SDSBS. A global mediation eventually led to a series of settlements with the establishments.

$3.4 Million Settlement (Product Liability – Electrocution)

A man was electrocuted while using a fruit harvester with a conductive handle. The product did not identify by its manufacturer that it was made of a highly conductive metal, which was covered by a nylon-polymer coating. Howard G. Butler of the Butler Law Group was hired by the family of the 55-year-old Orlando man who was killed while picking avocados from a tree in his backyard and investigated the identity of the commercial seller and a lawsuit was filed asserting that the product was unreasonably dangerous.

$850k Settlement Prior to Trial (Auto Negligence Cervical & Lumbar Injuries)

A Clay County tow truck rear-ended a vehicle causing multiple areas of injury to a 28-year-old woman. The Wrecker Company’s Carrier denied responsibility blaming the injured woman for cutting in front of its driver and causing the collision. BLG, led by Howard Butler, filed suit and obtained nearby security camera footage which contradicted any such assertion. Further investigation revealed that the commercial driver had been working excess hours, was fatigued and oblivious at the time of the collision. Following mediation, the Carrier’s highest offer was $250k as they took the position that she had no loss of earnings, was earning more money than before, and argued that surveillance video suggested that her injuries were non-disabling. The case proceeded to trial after Courthouse reopened following the pandemic. A few days prior to trial the Carrier more than tripled its offer to avoid trial.

$625k Settlement (Auto Negligence Cervical Injury)

A 50-year-old dental implant technician was struck in a modest rear-end impact injuring his neck and back. At mediation during the pandemic, the adverse Carrier offered less than $200k to resolve the case which was rejected. Shortly after the 16-month pandemic moratorium on jury trials was lifted and the case was proceeding to trial the Adverse Carrier paid the full demand.

$2.5 Million Settlement (Wrongful Death)

Howard Butler of the Butler Law Group recently obtained a multi-million dollar recovery for the widow of an elderly man against a county for negligence and civil rights violations after 2 years of litigation.

Seven Figure Auto Negligence Verdict Affirmed

After 2+ Years of Litigation, a Major Auto Carrier Reverses Course and Pays Its UM Policy Limits – $395k

The Clients UM Carrier had argued that its policy contained both a legal and factual exclusion which prevented it from paying an otherwise meritorious death claim. BLG’s Howard Butler and Drew Baskin filed suit and developed evidence that the exclusion was both invalid and non-applicable. At a pre-trial mediation, the Carrier “ducked.”

Elderly Tampa Couple Injured in Duval County Rear End Collision Results in $505k Recovery

An active elderly retired couple was returning to Florida after a nice weekend in Georgia when they were rear-ended by a distracted Georgia resident on her way to classes in Jax. The adverse driver’s liability Carrier USAA offered less than $25k total to resolve both their claims claiming that their injuries were minor and pre-existing in nature. An out of town relative advised them to contact Howard Butler, Esquire in Jacksonville. A lawsuit was filed against both the adverse vehicle driver and owner as well as the couples UM Carrier and litigated. At mediation, the adverse vehicle owner’s Carrier tendered its limits. Eventually, a global resolution of $505k was negotiated.

Low Speed Rear End Impact – $375k Verdict

A former President of the Florida Justice Association from Orlando asked Howard Butler of the Butler Law Group to take a lead role in a very challenging case in which an Orlando man was injured while in Jax. The case presented numerous challenges in terms of liability, causation, and damages. The Corporate Defendants and their Carrier fought each and every issue with a legal team consisting of 4 lawyers and 3 high-profile Defense Experts for 4 years and the case languished during the pandemic Courthouse closure. After 5 full days of trial, the jury returned a verdict of $375k.

Contested Rear End Collision (neck, shoulder and low back) – $325k Settlement

A warehouse worker was rear-ended on University Boulevard by a commercial vehicle injuring his neck, shoulder, and back. He eventually underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder and low back. The Defendant claimed that its driver was stopped behind the plaintiff’s vehicle and rolled forward causing a minor impact which was insufficient to cause the injuries claimed. The highest pre-suit offer received was $100k so Howard Butler, Esq of the Butler Law Group filed suit. Shortly after mediation and before trial the case settled for more than three times that amount.

Dealership Vehicle Backs into Retirees Motorcycle Resulting in Aggravation of Cervical Spine Injury and Surgery – $350k Recovery

A retired post office worker with a pre-existing cervical fusion was stopped on his motorcycle when a Jacksonville car dealership up ahead of him backed up and collided with his motorcycle and re-injured his neck requiring him to undergo additional surgery. After initially retaining a high volume advertising firm he became dissatisfied and hired the Butler Law Group. Howard Butler, Esq successfully negotiated a pre-suit settlement.

Arizona Infant Exposed to Salmonella in Snake Food from Florida Distributor – Six-Figure Settlement

More than a dozen people around the Country became ill after coming into contact with contaminated snake food which was manufactured and distributed out of Florida. The parents of an infant in Arizona who became gravely ill and had to be life-flighted to a special hospital retained Howard Butler, Esq of the Butler Law Group in Jacksonville after several other attorneys specializing in toxic exposure cases turned it down. These cases are extremely difficult to prove due to the difficulty in establishing causation between the specific product and the specific injury sustained which typically requires sophisticated and expensive DNA testing and in this case the manufacturer denied causation. BLG’s extensive investigation led to favorable findings from the CDC generally linking the outbreak to a particular contaminated shipment from the Florida source and further statistical analysis was used to bolster specific causation and suit was filed in Arizona with co-counsel William Bacon, Esq of Goldberg, Osborne.

After much hard-fought litigation a confidential six-figure settlement was reached at mediation a couple of months prior to trial.