Kelley/Uustal: Pressure Cooker Lawsuit $26 Million Settlement - Maimed Toddler, Dogged Trial Lawyer

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley/Uustal, a Florida personal injury law firm, announced today a Broward County, FL Circuit Court approved the $26 million settlement negotiated by noted defective products lawyer John Uustal on behalf of 5-year-old Samantha Gonzales in her lawsuit against the manufacturer of a pressure cooker with a faulty locking mechanism, the failure and subsequent explosion of which resulted in severe burns and amputation of Samantha's leg, hip, foot, and fingers.

Beyond the record settlement amount in a defective pressure cooker case, John Uustal notes the exceptional outcome for young Samantha seemed initially impossible as police, fire department, and engineering experts as well as the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission found there was no defect in the product – several lawyers declined the case and it seemed a tragedy without remedy for Samantha and a lifetime of unfunded medical needs.

However, attorney Uustal (known for big verdicts in impossible cases against Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, Big Auto and others) and his investigative team uncovered:

• A slight variation in the size of a key safety piece of the locking mechanism, repeatedly missed by the authorities;

And,

• A possibility that defendant company, Lifetime Brands, had known of the defect for years and failed to issue a recall or report the deadly threat to consumers, Uustal's team believing the company continued producing possibly 100,000 units over 3 years then simply modifying the defective design and continuing about their business ignoring the potentially lethal consequences to unknowing users.

Reminiscent of attorney Uustal's uncovering a secret memo showing prior knowledge of a deadly GM auto defect resulting in the largest GM jury verdict in history – John Uustal's efforts on behalf of young Samantha Gonzales will enable the best possible medical care, the most advanced prosthetics, and otherwise fund her no-longer-hopeless future.

Media Contact 

Maggie at Elite Lawyer Management  360.909.0527  maggie@elitelawyermanagement.com

About John Uustal

John is a Florida based trial lawyer and author, focused on helping seriously injured victims and their families stand up to uncaring corporations that revere profits over consumer safety, the subject of John Uustal's forthcoming second book: Corporate Serial Killers set for early 2019 release and underlying many jury verdicts in the $10's and $100's of millions for victims. 

SOURCE Kelley/Uustal