Attorney James C. Buckley's Legal Cases

Personal injury

Santosa vs. The Chrysler Corporation and Gerstel, 113 Wash.App. 1031, 2002 WL 31045305 (Wash.App. Div. 1)

N/A

OUTCOME: Plaintiff verdict $6.2 Million judgment and verdict plus interest

Client suffered below the knee leg amputation; fractured leg; head and hand injuries; scars. The jury determined that the 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokees were not reasonably safe due to their design. Defenda ... nt, Daimler Chrysler was negligent for failing to retrofit the Jeep with a brake transmission shift interlock and failing to provide adequate warning after the Jeep was manufactured. There were over 500 active runaway Jeep Cherokee injury and death cases nationally and this was the first that had carried a jury verdict. Daimler Chrysler's appeal was rejected at the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court levels; consequently, Buckley & Associates successfully forced Daimler Chrylser to pay the judgment, plus interest, for a net total recovery exceeding $6.2 million dollars.

Personal injury

Chen vs. City of Seattle, 153 Wash.App. 890, 223 P.3d 1230, (2009)

N/A

OUTCOME: Settlement $3.1 Million

Pedestrian crossing the roadway in a marked crosswalk with a large pedestrian crossing sign with blinking yellow lights at 10th and Jackson in Seattle was struck and killed by a vehicle. The pedestrian ... ’s wife and adult daughter sued the driver of the vehicle for negligence and the city of Seattle for failure to maintain the crosswalk in a reasonably safe condition. The city paid $2.75 million and the driver’s insurer paid its $300,000 policy limits to settle the case. Underinsured motorist insurance carrier paid its $100,000 underinsured motorist policy limits.

Personal injury

Pedestrian vs. Motorist

N/A

OUTCOME: Settlement $1.5 Million (policy limits)

Client was walking in a crosswalk and was struck by a vehicle making a left turn. The client was dragged underneath the vehicle for approximately 20 feet. The driver contended that the client had cross ... ed the street against the “do not walk” signal. The client suffered fractures to his arm, leg, knee, ribs and pelvis. Case settled for $1.5 million insurance policy limit.

Personal injury

Victims vs. the state of Washington and the Department of Corrections

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OUTCOME: Settlement $1.1 Million

Clients were a man who was shot by a parolee who was under the supervision of the Department of Corrections and the wife of another man who was killed by the parolee. The clients alleged the Department ... of Corrections was negligent in its supervision of the parolee. The Department of Corrections claimed that they were not liable.

Personal injury

Passenger vs. Driver and Auto Manufacturer

N/A

OUTCOME: Settlement $1.2 Million plus Confidential Settlement with Auto

Client was a passenger in a vehicle that rolled over after her husband fell asleep at the wheel. In the process of the rollover, the door on the client’s side came open. The client sustained fractures ... to her hip and leg. She also suffered open dislocation of her knee and laceration. Auto manufacturer was sued for defective product. Case settled with the auto manufacturer for confidential amount. Insurer for driver and underinsured motorist coverage settled for their policy limits.

Personal injury

Metro Bus Rider vs King County and a SUV Driver

N/A

OUTCOME: Settlement $1.1 Million

Client a 17 year old exchange student from South Korean was a passenger on a King County Metro bus when the bus driver stopped in the middle lane of a 3 lane roadway to let the client off. As the clien ... t stepped from the bus she was struck by a vehicle that was passing the bus in the curb lane. The bus driver claimed that there was too much snow in the curb lane so he let the client off the bus in the middle lane. We obtained an in-dashboard videotape of the roadway when a responding police officer drove to the scene to a 911 response. The tape showed very little snow on the roadway. Client sustained a fractured pelvis, right leg and right foot and splenic lacerations as well as post-traumatic stress disorder. King County, the bus driver employer paid $1,000,000 and the insurer for the vehicle that struck the client paid its $100,000 liability insurance policy limits to settle the clients’ injury claims.

Personal injury

Minor Child vs. Restaurant Owners

N/A

OUTCOME: Settlement $1 Million (policy limits)

Client was a 5 year old child who slipped and fell on a restaurant bathroom floor which had water, paper, and food products on the bathroom floor. Client sustained a fractured skull and mild brain inju ... ry

Personal injury

Single Vehicle Rollover Accident

N/A

OUTCOME: Settlement $1 Million (policy limits)

Clients were 4 passengers in a single rollover car accident in the state of Montana versus the driver. The three clients sustained various injuries and one client was killed.

Personal injury

Client vs Dump Truck Driver & Employer

N/A

OUTCOME: Settlement $1 Million

Client was in a head-on collision with a dump truck. Client suffered knee and leg injuries; fractured pelvis and ankle; post-traumatic stress disorder; emotional distress.

Personal injury

Client vs UIM Insurance Carrier

N/A

OUTCOME: Settlement $1 Million (policy limits)

Client was in a head-on collision with an uninsured driver. Client suffered head injury; leg and arm injuries.

James C. Buckley's Legal Cases (12)

Santosa vs. The Chrysler Corporation and Gerstel, 113 Wash.App. 1031, 2002 WL 31045305 (Wash.App. Div. 1)

Chen vs. City of Seattle, 153 Wash.App. 890, 223 P.3d 1230, (2009)

Pedestrian vs. Motorist

Victims vs. the state of Washington and the Department of Corrections

Passenger vs. Driver and Auto Manufacturer

Metro Bus Rider vs King County and a SUV Driver

Minor Child vs. Restaurant Owners

Single Vehicle Rollover Accident

Client vs Dump Truck Driver & Employer

Client vs UIM Insurance Carrier