A Team Recognized For New Mexico Results

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A Nationwide Firm Making a Difference

Record Permian Basin Wrongful Death Verdict

Lyons & Simmons fought to hold an energy services company responsible for a tragic multi-fatality accident caused by an employee speeding to get to work in inclement winter weather. The West Texas jury ultimately returned a verdict believed to be the largest-ever for a personal injury case in Midland County. The verdict was recognized among the Top 100 Verdicts of 2021 by the National Law Journal and Texas Lawyer and earned the firm the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association’s 2021 John Howie Award.

New Mexico Huey Helicopter Crash Lawsuit Resolved

Lyons & Simmons secured a confidential settlement following a Santa Fe state court lawsuit on behalf of the family and estate of a man who was tragically killed along with 4 others in a high-publicity crash involving a Vietnam-era Bell UH-1H “Huey” Helicopter near Raton, New Mexico.

Settlement for NM Man Severely Burned by Smartphone

A New Mexico man sustained second- and third-degree burns when his smartphone overheated, catching fire while he was driving. He suffered additional catastrophic injuries in the resulting head-on crash into oncoming traffic with an 18-wheeler. Lyons & Simmons’ investigation showed the company had gone to market with a phone with limited testing and significant safety concerns that led to the thermal run-away event with the phone’s lithium-ion battery.

Animation Recreates Accident

An elderly man was caravanning to Colorado with his family when an 18-wheeler unexpectedly pulled from the shoulder onto the rural Texas highway into his path. Unable to avoid a collision, his truck slammed into the rear of the slowly moving semi, resulting in fatal injuries. To help jurors better visualize the events, we prepared an accident re-creation animation that can be found here.

Life-Changing Injury

A young boy was playing in a neighborhood park with his grandfather when a limb broke off a tree, striking him in the head. Through the heroic actions of his grandfather, he survived the accident but suffered permanent brain damage. Utilizing advanced imaging technology, we were able to demonstrate the severity of the boy’s brain injury and secure a settlement ensuring his long-term needs will be met.

How Oilfield Accident Happened

Tripping out pipe is a common task at drilling sites. However, using 2⅞-inch pipe in a workover rig not designed for it was dangerous. Modifications to the fingerboard were inadequate to make the exercise safe because the pipe began to bow. When the crew lost control of a bowing pipe, it sprang loose, striking a floor hand in the head and violently propelling him to his death. An accident re-creation animation was developed so jurors would understand how it happened.

Victim of Drunk Driver Prevails

A young girl riding her bike on a residential street was struck by a drunk and distracted delivery truck driver, sending her nearly 20 feet through the air. Her skull, pelvis and spine were fractured, and she was left with a permanent brain injury. Holding the driver’s employer responsible for negligent hiring decisions, we were able to reach a settlement that will ensure lifetime care for the girl shortly before trial was to begin.

New Day Spa Regulations

An elderly woman’s first visit to a North Texas spa ended in tragedy. Left unattended in a sensory deprivation pod, she drowned, despite the company’s claims that such accidents were impossible. Lyons & Simmons not only secured compensation for the family but worked with Texas legislators on proposed regulations for the day spa industry that will help prevent a similar tragedy.

Lax Hiring Standards Exposed

An elderly woman with dementia was sexually assaulted in her own home by a cable installer. Lyons & Simmons’ investigation uncovered a blind spot in the hiring practices of telecommunications companies, which allowed dangerous predators to be employed in positions that provide access to homes.

Justice for Victim of Serious Injury

An inquisitive young boy was able to slip his hand into the housing of a motorized gate operator at his family’s home. When the gate began to open, his hand became trapped in the gears, causing catastrophic injury to his hand. We secured a settlement that ensured his future care needs would be taken care of and helped identify design flaws that will lead to a safer product.

Firm Prevails in Escheatment Case

Lyons & Simmons is one of a small handful of firms to successfully litigate a wrongful escheatment case in Texas involving stock in a publicly traded company.

$2.55 Million for Football Coach

The University of Kansas attempted unsuccessfully to use allegations of low-level NCAA infractions as cause to avoid paying the contractual buyout due to former head football coach David Beaty after his dismissal near the end of the 2018 football season. Our aggressive pursuit of the truth led to Kansas paying Beaty $2.55 million, and the facts developed in the case were used to clear Coach Beaty of all alleged NCAA wrongdoing, marking one of the few documented cases in NCAA history where a coach has successfully challenged an NCAA coach control violation.

Historic Wrongful Death Recovery

Lyons & Simmons represented the family of one of the victims of the deadliest oilfield accidents since the 2010 Macondo Deepwater Horizon blowout and the worst oilfield incident in Oklahoma history. We secured a combined settlement that is believed to be one of the largest in the history of Oklahoma for one adult wrongful death. The case also drew the attention of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and helped bring further attention to dangerous industry practices involving well control management and monitoring.