Instructions

VITA MONESTERSKY V. UNIONTOWN HOSPITAL

HAYWARD, ET AL. vs. FORD MOTOR COMPANY
U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Beaufort Division
$3,925,000 - Verdict (automobile)

This case involved a single vehicle rollover accident. Attorney Crenney represented the Plaintiffs in the case alleging that a Ford SUV involved in the accident was defective because of its propensity to and likelihood of rolling over in a single vehicle accident. The trial lasted three weeks. The Ford Motor Company appealed the verdict and the case was recently settled incident to the Fourth Circuit's Mandatory Mediation Process.

SABO vs. BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE, INC., THE BUDD COMPANY, et al.
$3,800,000 - Settlement (product liability)

This case involved a three piece multi-piece wheel that was being serviced by Mr. Sabo. Specifically, he was inflating the tire on the wheel when an explosion occurred causing the wheel assembly to come apart severely injuring Mr. Sabo. The case was litigated in Allegheny County at G.D. 92-02743 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

DENGEL vs. STEPHEN ZERNICH, JR., M.D., et al.
$600,000 - Verdict (medical malpractice)

Plaintiff, Mrs. Patricia Dengel, had died prior to trial of unrelated causes. The case involved surgical malpractice during a gallbladder operation. The case was litigated in Allegheny County at G.D. 98-16491 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

APPLE vs. FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Settlement (Under Confidentiality Agreement) (product liability)

This case was tried for eight days in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County before Judge Cynthia Baldwin. It was a one vehicle accident. The main plaintiff was Karen Apple who was a passenger in an automobile driven by her husband. He apparently fell asleep on Route 80 near Emlenton, Pennsylvania. He left the highway and the accident resulted. No other vehicles were involved in the accident. When the vehicle contacted a hillside, the passenger door opened causing Karen Apple to be partially ejected. Plaintiffs alleged a defect in the latching system. Specifically, Plaintiffs claimed that a cable should have been used rather than a rod to connect the door handle with the latching mechanism. The case was settled after eight days of trial under a confidentiality agreement.

DONDZILA vs. THE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITAL, RAFAEL L. SCHMULEVICH, M.D., et al.
$639,236.75 - Verdict (Medical Malpractice)

Plaintiff-deceased, Violet Dondzila, was 74 years old at the time of her death due to Defendants' alleged negligence. She developed a significant hematoma as a result of an angioplasty. She died as the result of internal bleeding. The verdict was against West Penn Hospital rather than the surgical cardiologist Rafael Schmulevich for failure to properly monitor Mrs. Dondzila. The Plaintiffs in the case were Mrs. Dodzilla's adult non-dependent children as her husband had already passed away. The case was litigated in Allegheny County at G.D. 02-3069 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

VINCENT ANGELO, EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF VINCENT LEWIS ANGELO, III vs. LUZERNE TOWNSHIP
$300,000 - Verdict (automobile)

This tragic case involved the death of a preschool child, Vincent Lewis Angelo, III, who was a passenger in a car driven by his father. The father lost control of the vehicle and hit a stop sign that was maintained by Luzerne Township, a government entity located in Fayette County. Plaintiffs claimed that the stop sign should have been a break-away sign. Plaintiffs also claimed that instead the stop sign was cemented into the ground, creating an immovable hazard that was struck by the automobile Mr. Angelo was driving. Mr. Angelo was the principal plaintiff in the case. Mr. Crenney convinced a Fayette County jury to render a verdict of $300,000 against a local township in that case.

BARRY vs. WILLIE E. JONES and COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
$700,000 - Verdict (automobile)

This case was tried in Fayette County. Mr. Barry was traveling early in the morning on the Route 119 Bypass which circumvents the City of Uniontown. He was traveling north on the bypass. His car suffered an electrical failure coming to rest in the right lane of traffic. The defendant's vehicle was unable to avoid hitting Mr. Barry's vehicle. The defendant claimed that it was dark and road conditions were treacherous and that Mr. Barry's tail lights were out. He also claimed he did not have time to avoid Mr. Barry's vehicle because there was a car in the other lane which prevented him from moving in that lane as an avoidance maneuver. The jury did not agree giving 100% negligence to the Defendant, Willie E. Jones, and no negligence to Mr. Barry. The case was settled subsequent to trial under a confidentiality agreement.

ISRAEL vs. ST. FRANCIS MEDICAL CENTER, et al.
$187,550 - Verdict (Medical Malpractice)

This case involved the death of a 75 year old man suffering from end stage renal failure. He died in his room when a catheter was removed from the superior vena cava without appropriate medical back up. The case was litigated in Allegheny County at G.D. 02-21187 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

KAPSHA vs. SUPERVALU, INC., et al.
$500,000 - Verdict (Slip and Fall)

This case involved a fall by Plaintiff, Patricia Kapsha, in a Foodland grocery store. She fell when she caught her foot on a pallet which was 4 feet x 6 feet and 6 inches off the ground. The Defendant argued that the hazard, if it was a hazard, was obvious to her and should have been seen by the Plaintiff. The Plaintiff claimed the pallet was a hazard and received an instruction regarding the attractive display doctrine. Specifically, Plaintiff argued that the supermarket was designed to take the Plaintiff's eyes away from what was in front of her. The verdict was reduced by 50% due to the contributory negligence of Plaintiff Patricia Kapsha.

ELLSWORTH vs. THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION, et al.
Settlement (Product Liability)

This case was settled after extensive litigation. It involved allegations regarding the failure of the latch in the hatchback of a Chrysler minivan. When the latch failed, Cody and Michael Ellsworth were thrown out of the vehicle suffering severe injuries. The settlement involved one of the largest agreements Mr. Crenney ever negotiated on behalf of his clients.

WHETZEL vs. RENAULT, et al.
Settlement (Under Confidentiality Agreement) (product liability)

This case was a crashworthiness case involving allegations that a 1989 Eagle Medallion manufactured by Renault of France was defective in terms of its performance in a side impact collision. Jurisdiction in the United States was contested for over a year. Plaintiff, Timothy Whetzel, suffered severe injuries as a result of an accident which occurred on June 8, 2002. While the case was venued in Allegheny County, depositions of Renault engineers and designees were taken in Paris, France. The case was settled under a confidentiality agreement.

THOMPSON vs. ALLIANCE TIRE & RUBBER CO., USA, LTD., et al.
Settlement (Under Confidentiality Agreement) (product liability)

This case involved the mismatch of a 16 inch wheel on a 16.5 inch tire. The Defendant was an Israeli manufacturer of tires with a multi-strand weftless bead construction. Plaintiffs did not have the wheel available for the litigation of this case. Nonetheless, a substantial settlement was agreed upon under a confidentiality agreement.