Minor gravely injures right hand in machine: $3.25 million settlement

Action: Product liability

Injuries alleged: Loss of portions of two fingers and other injuries to right hand and future significant medical needs

Case name: Withheld

Court/case no.: Withheld

Mediator: Kip Darwin

Amount: $3.25 million

Date: June 27, 2023

Most helpful expert:

Attorneys: Cooper Wilson, John Hudson and Mullins McLeod of McLeod Law Group and Tara Leaphart of Tara Leaphart, Attorney at Law, Charleston and Columbia (for the plaintiff)

A minor injured their hand in a workout machine at a local facility. The minor’s counsel also alleged that the facility failed to properly maintain the machine, to include not utilizing the suggested locking mechanism when the machine was not in use, and that the contractor hired to service the machine failed to properly do so.

Counsel for the defendants argued the case based on liability and damages, including defenses of various applicable caps.

Before the case was settled at mediation, it was litigated for almost two years, during which time plaintiff’s counsel developed helpful testimony against both defendants regarding their individual roles in maintaining and servicing the machine.