Results

Estate of Holly Maddux v. Ira Einhorn: We obtained the largest judgment ever against a single individual, a $907 million verdict against Ira Einhorn for the murder of his girlfriend, Holly Maddux. Perhaps known as the most egregious murder in Philadelphia’s history, committed by one of the city’s most infamous sociopaths, Jim Beasley Sr. took on the case when he learned from the Maddux family that Einhorn was planning to write a book, which would have handsomely compensated him for telling his story. The Beasley Firm’s victory stopped Einhorn from ever seeing a penny in profit from his horrible crime and murder. The firm handled the case for free.

Smith v Republic of Iraq et al: The firm won a $104 million verdict in 2003 on behalf of the families of victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, the only September 11 verdict in history. The verdict was directed against the Republic of Iraq, al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The case was tried before a Federal Judge in Manhattan. The lawyers from The Beasley Firm were the first and only to prove that the Republic of Iraq provided “material support or resources” to, and conspired with, Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network of terrorists. The Beasley Firm lawyers took a shrewd approach, focusing on only six defendants. We deployed expert witnesses in masterful fashion, with testimony powerful enough to convince a federal judge that a credible cause of action existed. It was a case widely scoffed at by legal observers when it was first filed. No one thought The Beasley Firm lawyers could marshal sufficiently compelling evidence. Instead, with the assistance of former CIA director R. James Woolsey, and Laurie Mylroie, Ph.D., as well as compelling satellite photos, statements from foreign Ambassadors, and volumes of exhibits, The Beasley Firm obtained the world’s only 9-11 verdict.

Vlazny v. Cavarrocci MD et al: The largest medical malpractice verdict in Pennsylvania history. This case involved an adult heart surgeon who operated on a baby who required a relatively simple heart surgery. Dr. Cavarrocci was unfamiliar with the tiny anatomy of a very small, premature neonate, and his lack of knowledge caused the baby to suffer severe brain damage and amputation of his arm.

Fledderman v. Glunk: This tragic case came into the firm through the Firm’s founder, Jim Beasley Sr., and involved the unnecessary death of a teenager after an elective liposuction procedure. By the time this case was completed, the Beasley Firm expended over $390,000.00 to investigate this tragedy, generated over 10,000 pages of documents, and spent five weeks on trial. Former Beasley Firm attorneys Slade McLaughlin used their knowledge and the Firm’s resources to obtain a highly publicized $20.5 million verdict for the family of this young woman. At its core, the plastic surgeon failed to acknowledge the woman was suffering from post-operative complications and was having trouble breathing and the CRNA looked the other way why the woman was dying. Justice was served when the jury awarded the $20.5 million on the 7th year anniversary of this woman’s death.

The family of twins injured during their Mother’s prenatal care came to Jim Beasley, Jr. and The Beasley Firm to bring a claim against the physicians and hospital that caused catastrophic injuries to the twins. Proving the case was difficult, but The Beasley Firm’s detailed investigation and strong cross examination of the defendants’ experts resulted in one of the largest medical malpractice recoveries in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This recovery, having been brought in one of the more conservative counties in Pennsylvania, is of particular pride to The Beasley Firm, and proves that no matter where negligence occurs, we are there to help our clients.

Dupon v. Holy Redeemer Hospital Verdict: $15 million verdict for a woman who suffered a stroke during carotid artery surgery. Barbara Axelrod successfully handled the post-trial appeals in this case, allowing The Beasley Firm to hold on to the verdict.

Myers & Gray v. Philadelphia Housing Authority: $11 million verdict for failure to ensure working smoke detectors were present in the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) houses.

Jim Beasley Jr. was asked to represent a man who was blinded after a heart transplant. Through relentless discovery, Jim was able to learn that the surgeon who was supposed to be monitoring this patient went to observe another operation, leaving the patient (and our client) to become blinded due to the delay in returning him to the operating room to correct the abnormal blood pressures due to complications of the heart transplant.

In a particularly tragic case, the parents of a child who died after being improperly discharged from a community hospital reached out to Jim Beasley Jr. to investigate how this could have happened, and to hold the doctors and the hospital who permitted this to happen accountable. After extensive investigation, Jim and Pete Johnsen uncovered that the doctors at this hospital were more focused on discharging this child rather than abiding by the parents’ wishes to transfer him to a pediatric specialty hospital. This recovery, in a conservative county in Pennsylvania, was one of the largest recoveries in that county for a medical malpractice wrongful death case.

$7 million settlement for blindness after heart surgery. Our client underwent heart surgery and woke up blind after the surgery. The anesthesiologist let the blood pressure get too low and stay very low for too long. The drop in the blood pressure caused a lack of blood flow and oxygen to our client’s optic nerves in the eyes and it caused permanent damage to the optic nerves and blindness.

Jim Beasley Jr. was referred this lawsuit from another highly competent Philadelphia malpractice lawfirm who had evaluated it and decided they did not think they would win it at trial. Jim, along with Pete Johnsen, aggressively worked this case up and took it to trial. After a week of trial, the defendants asked the judge to help get this case settled. The judge worked well to bring the parties together, and as a result this client now has the funds to ensure his care and needs are met.

The Beasley Firm is known for its verdicts and settlements on behalf of children injured during pediatric heart surgery, and this case was no different. Taking on the best and brightest surgeons in the world is not something that most law firms do; it’s routine at the Beasley Firm. Jim Beasley Jr. led the Firm’s prosecution of the physicians and hospital that caused this child’s brain damage during this complex and challenging heart surgery.

$5 million settlement for a client for failure to diagnose and treat an infection after spinal surgery that led to screws moving, causing paraplegia

$5 million settlement for a brain-damaged baby after pediatric heart surgery. Our client suffered severe brain damage and a wrongful death after open-heart surgery. In order to perform the surgery, the child’s blood flow had to be stopped, and the doctors have to cool the entire body to a very low temperature to protect the brain from damage prior to stopping the heart. Unfortunately, the doctors cooled the child too fast, permitting the brain to still be warm, and in need of oxygen, before the heart was stopped. The result was severe brain damage and after approximately five years of terrible pain and suffering, this child passed away.

$4.5 million settlement: Failure to diagnose a congenital heart defect and it caused brain damage. This little boy was born approximately two months premature and had an unusual breathing problem. When the doctors put a breathing tube into his lungs, he would breathe fine. When they took the tube out, he couldn’t breathe. After a few days of this, one of the resident physicians suggested that the doctors get a CT scan to see if something was pushing on the baby’s airway, which would be opened only when the breathing tube was pushed beyond the area where the airway was being compressed. The attending doctors refused, not interested in listening to a resident. After two years of suffering, damage to his airway, a tracheostomy and permanent brain damage, someone ordered the same test that the resident doctor suggested years before. The resident was right, and the arrogant attending doctors were wrong. We sued these doctors and the hospital and after an extensive investigation and almost three weeks of trial, we settled this case for $4.5 million for this child.

$4.5 million recovery for a patient injured in a psychiatric center. Jayne Piarulli represented a young man who was seeking treatment for his schizophrenia. While he was a patient in the state-run psychiatric center, there was an altercation that left the patient paralyzed and a quadriplegic.

$3.9 million settlement during trial: Prenatal/Birth negligence: failure to deliver baby showing distress on Fetal Monitoring Strips Mom was a young woman with her first pregnancy and was excited to finally become a parent. She made every prenatal …

$3.3 million verdict for an adult circumcision where too much skin was removed. We represented a Philadelphia Judge who underwent circumcision and was left with damage to his penis. The medical and legal teams at the Beasley Firm found that the physician removed too much skin, causing a decrease in the penis size and very painful erections because the skin could not stretch when aroused. This had an enormous impact on the intimate life that he and his wife, who had been together for decades, were able to enjoy. Barbara Axelrod successfully handled the appeal in this case which vacated the remittitur (a judge’s ruling to vacate a jury verdict) ordered by the Court of Common Pleas and reinstated the entire award.

$3.1 million settlement for failure to monitor post-operative patient. Dion Rassias represented husband and wife plaintiffs who filed a medical malpractice action as the result of a hospital’s failure to recognize a growing hematoma after neck surgery. The case raised issues about failing to properly monitor post-operative patients and then, failing to take action quickly enough to prevent permanent injuries. The case settled in the summer of 2014 for $3.1 million.

$3.1 million settlement: failure to diagnose meningitis in an infant resulting in severe brain damage and death. We represented a healthy little African American child whose grandmother took her to the local clinic because of a fever and a rash. The grandmother was told that the baby was “teething” and was given pain medicine and medicine to numb her gums. No one tested the baby for an infection, which they should have especially due to the rash, which was a classic sign of a bacterial infection. That night when she went to bed, her fever spiked to 105 degrees and she became very sick. Mom rushed her to the hospital, where a spinal tap was done showing a severe infection in her spinal cord or meningitis. The child suffered a seizure and developed permanent and severe brain damage, which finally took her life. We were able to settle the case for $3.1 million for her family as a result of her pain, suffering, and death.

$3 million recovery for a failure to treat preeclampsia that caused brain damage in a newborn. Jayne Piarulli represented a mother that developed preeclampsia that was undiagnosed and treated. The mother developed eclampsia that led to a placental abruption and the baby suffered from a lack of oxygen, blood, and nutrients. Because of the lack of oxygen, the baby has Cerebral Palsy (CP) and profound mental retardation.

A waitress was awarded $3 million by a Philadelphia jury for an unwanted kiss from a restaurant patron. When a kiss is more than a kiss. A waitress was awarded $3 million by a Philadelphia jury for an unwanted kiss from a restaurant patron. See Lisi v. Englesbe in Cases in the Spotlight. Note: Praecipe to Satisfy Judgment filed, the case resolved.

$3 million dollar settlement for a child who suffered permanent brain damage after a failure to diagnose and treat meningitis This is just one of the brain-injured children we have helped. This child was brought to the emergency room with signs and symptoms of an infection. Signs such as a rash, fever, irritability, and poor feeding. The doctor told the mother that the child’s rash was due to a soap allergy or irritation and discharged them from the hospital. That night the infection got worse and the child became stiff. The mother took the child back to the emergency room to be evaluated. A spinal tap was performed and it showed that the child had meningitis, but by that time, it was too late and the child suffered a seizure that further worsened the brain damage caused by meningitis.

$3 million settlement for failure to properly provide a spinal injection.

$3 million settlement for failure to diagnose and treat spinal infection

$3 million settlement: Failure to properly perform an epidural injection and it caused partial paralysis. Our client had low back pain and went to the pain management doctor for a lumbar epidural injection. However, when the doctor did the injection he injected the medication directly into the area around the spinal cord, which caused lower extremity weakness. Walking became difficult, but fortunately, he was not completely paralyzed. The defendants settled for $3 million to avoid a trial.

$1.95 million settlement for malpractice that caused the loss of both legs and an arm. This was a very difficult case involving a blood condition known as Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT). This condition results when the body reacts to the blood thinner heparin in the opposite way and actually causes blood clots to form instead of preventing blood clots from forming. The medical and legal teams here at the Beasley firm were able to recognize that the patient suffered from HIT.

$1.9 million settlement for a defective helmet that caused spinal cord injury.

$1.9 million products liability settlement for a defective helmet resulting in paralysis. The Firm’s client was wearing a helmet while he was playing sports at his school when he was hit in the head. The faulty helmet allowed his neck to bend in such a way that the spinal cord was injured. The sports helmet manufacturer fought hard, but the Firm was able to obtain a settlement that will provide for this young man’s future care.

$1.7 million settlement: Failure to treat meningitis leading to brain damage. Twin boys were born to a healthy mom a few weeks premature. The twins were admitted to the hospital for observation and treatment, but while in the hospital one of the twins started to show signs of an infection. Even though the one twin had a fever and abnormal blood tests, nothing was done until it was too late and he had a seizure, causing permanent brain damage. The doctors failed to manage the infection despite seeing the signs that the baby was infected. We secured almost $2 million for him and will provide for his needs as he grows.

$1.7 million settlement for failure to diagnose endocarditis. Dion Rassias sued a physician and the doctor’s practice group in the state of Delaware for failing to diagnose and properly treat endocarditis in a mid-40’s year old woman that, tragically, caused a stroke and significant brain damage.

$1.6 million settlement: Failure to treat developing infection in woman with no spleen. We represented a wife and mother of two small children who went to the local ER in one of the outlying Philadelphia counties complaining of a fever and feeling sick. Earlier in her life, she had her spleen removed, and the spleen is very important in fighting infections. In spite of knowing she didn’t have a spleen and likely had a bacterial infection, the ER doctor discharged her with Tylenol. That night she got really sick because of the overwhelming infection and died in her husband’s arms in front of their two children. In order to avoid a trial, the defendants paid $1.6 million to settle the case.

$1.5 million settlement due to a morphine overdose. Dion Rassias of the Beasley Firm sued a local hospital as a result of a morphine overdose for a patient who was seeking pain relief for a kidney stone. The hospital attorneys blamed all of the patient’s problems on an adverse reaction to the morphine that caused his death. The hospital lawyers fought that the morphine doses were all within the normal range. The hospital did not offer any money during discovery and did not begin discussing settlement until the cross-examination of the defendant doctor when, after obtaining vital information, the hospital paid in excess of $1.5 million to settle the case.

$1.5 million settlement during trial: failure to diagnose and treat breast cancer. While our client was pregnant, she felt a lump in her breast. The doctor did not order any tests and assumed it was a “milk duct” without any confirmation. By the time the cancer was diagnosed, it was too late and had spread throughout her entire body and took her life.

$1.5 million settlement during trial: Doctor’s failure to diagnose blood clot in a leg. We represented a man who developed a blood clot in his leg that went untreated. The blood clot blocked the blood flow to his foot, and the man had to have his foot amputated. We took this case to trial and after three days of testimony in the courtroom, the defendants settled to avoid an embarrassing verdict.

$1.5 million settlement during trial: failure to diagnose a bowel obstruction. Our client went to the emergency room for pains in her stomach, and she was admitted to the hospital. In spite of knowing she likely had a bowel obstruction, the doctors waited days before they finally took her to surgery. When they operated on her the surgeons found an extensive bowel blockage which they removed. Unfortunately, due to the delay in taking her to the operating room, many toxins built up in her intestine and when the blockage was relieved, all of the poisons spread throughout her body and almost killed her. She suffered permanent lung damage as a result of this. Halfway through the trial, the defendants settled this case to avoid a significant verdict against them.

$1.4 million settlement for fall injury. Dion Rassias represented a plaintiff who filed a premises liability action as a result of a rotted wooden railing that caused the plaintiff’s fall. During the fall, the plaintiff sustained an internal facial laceration that caused him to lose his sense of smell and some of his sense of taste. The case raised issues about the property owner’s knowledge of the defective railing and settled in the summer of 2014 for $1.45 million.

$1 million premises liability settlement during trial: Electrocution. Our client was shopping at a clothing store and when she raised her arm to try on a shirt, her hand touched a light bulb socket that was unprotected and she was electrocuted. The electrical shock caused her to develop a condition known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). This caused almost permanent damage to the nerves in her arm. A jury had been selected and the trial was about to begin when the defendant paid its entire insurance policy to resolve the case.

$600,000 settlement for inadequate security. We represented a family whose house was broken into and burglarized after a prisoner escaped from a local prison. We sued the security guard company and obtained this significant settlement for this family.

Jim Beasley & Dion Rassias of the Beasley firm were lead counsel in securing an early global eight-figure settlement for injured children and their families. The Beasley firm represented a family of triplet girls who were 11 years old at the time and seated on the back of the bus when it collided with an over-weighted dump truck in an intersection accident in Burlington County, NJ. The dump truck has been coming from a nearby construction site at the New