We Get Results
The fascinating thing about personal injury law is that each case represents a real human story, not just a legal one. Our attorneys each use their individual experience, training, and expertise to identify the strengths and issues related to each case, and work exhaustively to make sure every claim is supported from every angle. This means that each case is unique and interesting. Read the stories behind our cases, including:
Wrongful Death
$4,500,000 for Wrongful Death in Trucking Collision: A Canadian long haul truck driver, with illegal drugs in his system lost control of his semi-truck and slammed into the passenger car driven by our clients. The driver was badly injured but survived, his wife unfortunately did not. Our client awoke to see his wife dead in the passenger seat. The lawyers at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner were able to hold not only the intoxicated truck driver responsible, but also the trucking company for putting a commercial vehicle in the hands of a drug user.
Wrongful Death of Teenage Boy in Jet-Ski Collision-$2,500,000 – Our client died in a jet-ski accident with no automobile insurance available. Brett Law determined that homeowners insurance provided coverage, and the Estate recovered $2.5 million for his tragic death.
$2.3 million Largest Wrongful Death Jury Verdict in Skagit County History at the Time– 4 people died in a landslide that originated from an old abandoned logging road. Attorney Dean Brett convinced the jury to hold the state liable for a defect in a road built in the 40’s and not used since 1962. He also convinced the jury to award a substantial sum to the adult survivors of the victims, even though there was no future economic loss and no loss of support to the survivors.
Wrongful Death of Teenage Pedestrian Hit by Truck-$1,000,000 – A towing company hired a known drug addict to work for them. While impaired, he drove his tow truck, drifted over the center line and struck and killed a 14-year-old boy who was walking on the other lane pushing a bicycle.
Largest Wrongful Death Jury Verdict for Minor in Whatcom County History – A 16-year-old was riding his motorcycle when he died after colliding with a freight train parked across a little-traveled county road in the dark.
Largest Wrongful Death Jury Verdict in Kittitas County History – Our client was on the job when the defendant, who was an employee, negligently drove a big rig truck off the road and killed both himself and our client, resulting in an $800,000 verdict.
Wrongful Death Settlement from a Defective Highway Design – Three workers were dispatched by a local fruit company to haul a load of garbage to a local dump. The front wheel of the truck slipped off the road and the driver lost control, hit a tree, killing the two passengers. Four separate attorneys turned down the case before Brett Law obtained a $650,000 settlement for the widow.
Wrongful Death of Pedestrian Hit by Fleeing Driver – $2,000,000
Wrongful Death of Man Killed Accidentally by Police – $1,000,000
Wrongful Death in Trucking Accident – $4,500,000
Motorcyclist Killed by Commercial Vehicle – $2,200,000
Man Killed by Police during Arrest – $2,000,000
Motorist Killed in Fiery Crash – $1,300,000 (policy limits)
Drugged & Drunk Driving Auto Accidents
$5.5 Million, largest jury verdict in Skagit County – Our client was injured in a head-on collision with a drunk driver who had been released from a prior drunk driving arrest by a state trooper less than two hours before the accident. Instead of booking the drunk driver into jail or impounding her car, the trooper drove her home. The drunk driver called a taxi, returned to her car and got back on the road, hitting our client head-on.
Golf Cart Accident caused by Drunk Driver-$215,000 Settlement – Our client, a professional baseball player, and several teammates went to a local pub after a game. After a few drinks, the group saw an unoccupied golf cart, and poor judgment compelled them to take it for a joyride. The cart crashed into a fire hydrant, severely fracturing our client’s right ankle and ending his career in sports.
Major Personal Injury
6 Million Largest Trip and Fall Award at the time: On a fall evening, our client was walking with her family across a parking lot to her car after enjoying a diner at a local restaurant. The lot was poorly lit, and she was unable to see a raised curb which caused her to fall. Despite the best efforts of her family and medical first responders our client suffered catastrophic spinal cord injuries rendering her a quadriplegic. Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner forced the owners of the strip mall responsible for lighting and maintaining the property to pay for the life altering injuries suffered by our client.
Pedestrian Struck by a Train-$3,500,000 – How do you get sufficient damages for an industrial worker who leaves his work station, borrows his employer’s front-end loader, parks it across a railroad track at 2:00 A.M., dismounts to load the bucket with railroad ties for his own personal use, and fails to notice an oncoming train?
Closed Head Injury in a Rollover-$1,750,000 – Our client was in a high-speed, roll-over freeway accident, resulting in multiple spine fractures and a closed head injury that ended his career as a physician. Since his insurance company denied full coverage by arguing that at 56, our client was near retirement and didn’t need to work. Attorney Dean Brett established that without the accident, our client would have continued to work at least ten more years, resulting in a wage loss claim of $1.2 million and a total settlement of $1,750,000.
Worker Struck by Backing Service Truck – $1,500,000
Man Injured in Trip and Fall in Parking Lot – $1,550,000
Largest Trip and Fall Award in the State at the Time for Woman Who Fell in Poorly Lit Parking Lot – $6,000,000
Man Injured When He Fell at a Waste Transfer Station. -$1,000,000
Boy Savagely Attacked by Dog- $1,400,000
Victim of Sexual Abuse in Foster Care – $3,300,000
Woman Who Fell on Ice in a Parking Lot – $1,000,000
Woman Hurt by Medical Transport Company – $1,200,000
Other Personal Injury
$3,000,000 for Man Backed Over By Work Truck: In an attempt to save money a construction company heavily relied on temporary workers to complete construction projects. One of those temporary workers was backed over by a construction company truck causing serious injuries. Normally, the workers compensation system forbids suing an employer for personal injuries. However, the lawyers at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner were able to argue that our client, as a temporary worker could sue and recovered millions of dollars for our client from the construction company.
$2,200,000 for Motorcyclist Killed by Commercial Vehicle: An Excavation contractor put a 60,000 pound dump truck in the hands of a freshly licensed, inexperienced driver. The driver overheated the brakes and lost control of the dump truck, the truck ultimately reached speeds of over 80 MPH before striking our client who was touring the state on his motorcycle. Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner were able to hold the trucking company responsible for putting a full sized heavily loaded dump truck in the hands of an inexperienced driver.
$2,000,000 Wrongful Death of Pedestrian hit by fleeing driver: A motorist was driving a service loaner vehicle provided to him while his vehicle was being repaired. The motorist lost control and struck our client on the side of the road who was mowing his grass, killing him. The motorist then fled the scene. Initially, it appeared that the surviving family would be limited to recovering the state minimum insurance of the fleeing driver. However, the lawyers at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner were able to locate and recover from the insurance policy for the service loaner vehicle increasing the recovery for the family nearly 100 fold.
$1,000,000 for Man Injured at Garbage Dump/Transfer Station: Our client was unloading garbage at the local garbage dump. Unknow to him, the operators of the dump failed to guard or protect a 15 foot drop off. Our client stumbled and fell 15 feet suffering serious injuries. The lawyers at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner were able to show that the dump was unsafely designed and operated and hold the operators responsible for our client’s injuries.
$1,500,000 for Wrongful Death of Man Test Driving a Vehicle: Our client was test driving a vehicle when he was struck by an uninsured, drunk driver and tragically killed. This was to be our client’s first vehicle so he did not have insurance either. The family would have been left with nothing but the lawyers at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner were able to obtain full coverage from the insurance policy covering the test drive vehicle. The family was able to get every penny of insurance coverage to help them weather the loss of their son.
$1,000,000 for Woman Injured in Fall on Ice: A automotive repair shop failed to clear ice and snow from their parking lot despite days of heavy snow and cold temperatures. Our client was dropping off her vehicle for service in the early morning when she slipped on a sheet of ice in the parking lot and suffered serious injuries. The lawyers at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner were able to show that our client was hurt because of the failure to clear up dangerous ice in the parking lot and recovered the maximum amount of insurance coverage to help our client cope with her injuries.
$1,200,000 for Woman Injured During Medical Transport: A medical transport company was tasked with driving our client to a medical appointment. The driver failed to properly secure our elderly client in place and drove carelessly resulting in serious injuries and cognitive decline in our client. The lawyers at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner were able to show it was the injuries from the accident which caused a marked decline in her health and cognitive faculties and held the transport company responsible for the full extent of her injuries.
$3.300,300 Victim of Sexual Abuse in Foster Care:
The Washington State Department of Youth and Family Services formally Department of Social and Heath Services placed a young girl in a home with a known sexual predator. Despite reports of abuse DSHS left the young girl in the home where she was repeatedly sexually victimized. Our client came to us as a young adult and Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner was able to hold DSHS responsible for the horrific abuse she suffered due to their indifference and neglect.
Fractured Leg of Pedestrian-$490,000 – Our client was an elite runner who trained up to 20 miles a day, 6 days a week. During a run he was hit by a 17 year old driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel, causing serious orthopedic and head injuries including tibia/fibula fractures, ligament injuries, ankle and foot injuries which ended his career as a top-level marathon runner.
Pedestrian’s Multiple Fractures Lead to Nearly $450,000 Settlement – Our client was walking her dog when she was struck in a marked crosswalk by a 23-year old driver. The force of impact threw Jane onto the car. Her injuries included fractures to her arm, leg, rib, and facial bones.
Pedestrian Struck by Car on Sidewalk – $346,000
Man Hit in Arm by Stray Firework – $324,000
Knee and Back Injuries Suffered in Parking Lot Collision – $500,000
Victim of Sexual Harassment – $324,000
Passenger Injured When Her Husband Lost Control of Their Vehicle and Crashed into a Barrier. -$480,000
Worker Suffering a Hand Injury in Lumber Mill -$650,000
Recovery for Man Injured in Car Accident – $750,000
