Significant Cases | Ripplinger & Zimmer, L.L.C.

Below are some of our recent verdicts and settlements:

Plaintiff received a structured settlement in Mueller vs. Canham Sheet Metal - The case was settled on the first day of trial in Madison County IL by George Ripplinger. Plaintiff was rendered a paraplegic when the sheetmetal worker fell through a hole in the roof for a sky light he was helping to set in place. The full payout totaled $3,823,000.00.
The case of Hicks v. Gateway City International was settled in mediation in Little Rock Arkansas by George Ripplinger. Plaintiff was a paraplegic as a result of injuries he received when his semi-tractor lost its steering while crossing the I-270 bridge from Illinois into St. Louis. Plaintiff was the owner of the small trucking company which hauled mail between St. Louis and Peoria. By the time the firm was hired, the truck had been scavenged and no part of the steering remained. Ripplinger hired engineers who rebuilt a similar steering system and by testing were able to recreate the event. The defendant truck dealer had repaired the steering on the truck the day before the trip. The case was on file in the City of St. Louis, MO and settled for $1,410,000.
Miller v. Reese Construction Company was settled on the first day of trial in Madison County IL by George Ripplinger and Patricia Zimmer for $1,400,000.00. Kelly Miller claimed that she was injured and her husband killed when the truck her husband was driving hydroplaned on an improperly constructed roadway-Route 4-in Madison County, Illinois. Plaintiff had previously settled her claim against another defendant for $100,000.00.
George Ripplinger settled the legal malpractice case of Wandro v. Grimm for $710,000.00, his policy limits. Grimm represented Wandro in the sale of her farm land in O'Fallon IL without having it appraised. Wandro claimed she did not get fair market value for the land. Grimm also represented Wandro and a minister in a gift of land to the minister for a tax deduction. The minister was Grimm's business partner in a real estate development. The minister claimed he was going to build a church on the land, but immediately sold the land and used the money in he and Grimm's real estate development. Wandro would have realized a greater benefit if she had sold the land instead of gifting it. Grimm also represented another business partner of his in the real estate development and Wandro in a $500,000.00 loan from Wandro to his partner, without interest and without security. Both business partners subsequently filed bankruptcy without paying off the loan. Grimm has been suspended from the practice of law by the Illinois Supreme Court.
Taymond Freeman was awarded a verdict of $978,874.00 in a civil rights case against a police officer who shot him, partially severing the peroneal nerve to his left leg. Freeman was not wanted for a crime and was not in the act of committing a crime. Police were investigating a stolen car parked at a motel and Freeman had the bad luck of walking out of his motel room at that time. The police pulled their guns and told Freeman to fall to the ground. He ran instead. Officer McGowan of the Alorton, Illinois police gave chase, emptying his Glock .40 in the process. George Ripplinger represented Freeman at the trial. The Village of Alorton filed bankruptcy. Ripplinger intervened in the bankruptcy on behalf of Freeman and the Village agreed to remove Freeman's claim from the bankruptcy and to pay $2,500.00 per month for 20 years.
Ripplinger v Fulford was settled by Jamie Bas in Randolph County for $175,000.00. It was an auto/tractor collision involving 3 vehicles. Policy limits were paid by the driver of the tractor and the driver of the car that swerved to miss the tractor and hit Plaintiffs head on. The Plaintiff's underinsured carrier also paid it policy limits.
The firm settled an auto collision case for one occupant of Plaintiff's car for the $50,000.00 policy limits of the other driver. We collected another $8,700.00 from the Plaintiff's own auto insurance carrier under his underinsured coverage. Suit for the other occupant of the Plaintiff's car was settled for $21,000.00. Lee v Kirkendoll filed in Franklin County, IL. Total recovery, $79,800.00.
Pat Zimmer and George Ripplinger tried a medical malpractice case in St. Clair County, Illinois. The doctor negligently pierced the abdominal wall and nicked the Plaintiff's liver, causing her eventual death 3 weeks later as a result of blood loss. Plaintiff was suffering from stage 3 lung cancer at the time. The jury awarded Plaintiff's estate $439,432.06; nearly $200,000.00 more than requested at trial.
George Ripplinger settled Gordon v Basedon and Southern Illinois Motor Express. The Gordons were run down by a semi-tractor trailer truck as they rode their horses at night along a highway in Jackson County, IL. where the suit was on file. The trucker did not stop, claiming that he thought he hit 2 deer. The total settlement was $255,000.
Patricia Zimmer settled a medical malpractice suit against a Decatur, IL hospital for a confidential amount in six figures. A nurse had improperly injected Plaintiff causing a foot drop and constant pain.
George Ripplinger settled a legal malpractice case in Peoria, IL: Webster v Kleczek for 3 members of a family who were injured in a one car accident. Kleczek failed to file the Websters' claims within the statute of limitations and allowed the automobile to be destroyed so that it was unavailable to prove the plaintiffs' claim that its defective condition was the cause of the accident. Kleczek also claimed that he did not represent the driver who was most severely injured. The driver, however, had kept his copies of correspondence, medical authorizations and contract. Ripplinger sued Kleczek on a theory of spoliation as well as negligence. The family received a total of $282,000.
Pat Zimmer settled a medical malpractice case against an Effingham IL surgeon for failure to diagnose post operative complications for $250,000.
George Ripplinger settled Franklin v Moore and USAA in St. Clair County, IL against the responsible driver for Mr. and Mrs. Franklin and against their own insurer under the Underinsured provisions of their policy for a total of $263,500. Mrs. Franklin lost her spleen and Mr. Franklin suffered a broken finger.
George Ripplinger settled the case of Young v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co. while Defendant's Petition for Leave to Appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court was pending. Plaintiff was injured in a motor vehicle collision. Plaintiff settled with the other motorist for her $50,000 policy limits and demanded arbitration from Mr. Young's insurer for underinsured motorist benefits. The arbitration resulted in an award for an additional $15,000. Young's policy provided he could reject the award if his total recovery was over $20,000 and he did reject it, filing suit in St. Clair County, Illinois. George Ripplinger tried the case and received a verdict of $181,450.00 for a total recovery of $231,450.00. St. Paul appealed and George Ripplinger briefed and argued the appeal which affirmed the verdict which had included $100,000.00 for lost earning capacity for the then 76 year old self-employed electrician. The settlement was for $180,000 in addition to the $50,000 received from the other driver.
Patricia Zimmer settled a medical malpractice claim against the United States, filed in the Southern District of Illinois for $360,000.00. It was a Federal Tort Claim resulting from a doctor's failure to refer his patient to a high risk pregnancy specialist.
Following a trial in St. Clair County, Illinois, Clyde Frey and Edward Cooper were awarded a total of $91,150.00 in their claim of wrongful termination against Svendsen Builders Inc. They were represented at the trial by George Ripplinger.
Patricia Zimmer settled Ralph Olson vs. Bayer Pharmaceutical and the United States Air Force for $500,000.00. The suit claimed inappropriate administration of a drug.
Patricia Zimmer settled Lou Howell vs. Dr. Garretson, a Medical Malpractice case on file in Mt. Vernon, IL for $100,000.00.
George Ripplinger settled the legal malpractice case of Szczeblewski v Austin, in Benton, IL for $200,000.00. Plaintiff's claim was that the defendant lawyer failed to have the family farms appraised, accepting the husband's valuation in a divorce case, also failing to make a claim on behalf of his client, the wife for her interest in the family farming business. He also allowed a low appraisal of the family home farm to be introduced when he had an appraisal for a much larger amount which he did not introduce.

** Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits. Past results afford no guarantee of future results.