Attorney Lynn Johnson and Attorney Daniel Singer of Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman, Chtd. played an instrumental role in securing an $11,588,548.89 verdict for the family of a man who died in an aviation accident. Nearly a decade ago, pilot Ron Marshall crashed his private plane while Chris Gruber was aboard. Both were killed, and fault for the accident would eventually be placed fully on Marshall.
United States Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG) had an opportunity to possibly settle the wrongful death case brought by the Gruber family for a $100,000 policy limit. However, when Attorneys Johnson and Singer were brought on to represent the plaintiffs, the higher and much more justified multimillion-dollar amount was pursued. With their legal talents, the case was a success, and the court approved the $11.58 million verdict, which was promptly appealed by USAIG. It was not until years later that the Kansas Appeals Court affirmed that judgment and brought the tumultuous case to a final close.
Aviation Law Week, one of the country’s most popular publications for all things related to aviation law and lawsuits, recently highlighted this story in volume 397 for March 26th, 2021. Within the article, it was revealed that the defense had become noticeably concerned when Attorney Lynn Johnson and Attorney Daniel Singer were hired to handle the plaintiff’s case because their reputation for winning high-value aviation accident litigation cases preceded them. Simply at the mention of the law firm, the defense also realized that it would not be able to try to pass the $100,000 policy limit. Attorneys Johnson and Singer would certainly pursue – and most likely secure – a much higher case value that better reflected the financial and emotional harm suffered by the plaintiffs. It seems, at least in this specific set of circumstances, the defense was right for once.
You can learn more about this remarkable case and our attorneys’ roles in it by clicking here and loading a PDF file of Aviation Law Week. (The article featuring this story begins on page 2.) If you would like to learn more or work with our award-winning law firm and attorneys for an aviation accident claim or lawsuit, then please reach out to us by calling (816) 542-5999 or by filling out an online contact form.