Notable Results
Police Misconduct: Civil Rights/Wrongful Death--Substantial Settlement
Nate represented the family of Loren Simpson who was shot and killed by Yellowstone County law enforcement officers during a burglary investigation. Loren was driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen, but rather than conducting a traffic stop to determine why he was driving the vehicle, the officers set up a road block, retrieved their 12 gauge shotgun and AR-15 rifle, and fired 18 rounds into Loren’s vehicle as he attempted to drive around them at low speed. The fatal shot struck Loren in the back of the head after his vehicle had already come to rest in a snow bank along the side of the road. The case settled for a substantial amount after Nate prevailed against the officers’ claims that they were immune from liability under Federal law.
$1,840,000 Jury Verdict | Breach of Contract/Fraud
Nate represented Phil Thelen and his business TCH Builders against an out-of-state contractor who fraudulently induced Phil into an unfair business arrangement, conjured a series of bogus disputes in an attempt to create grounds to terminate the arrangement, and ultimately refused to pay Phil for the work he had done. After six days of trial, the jury awarded $200,000 for breach of contract, $168,000 for fraud, $750,000 for bad faith, and $749,000 in punitive damages. Nate also recovered an award of attorneys fees under the Construction Lien statutes, which resulted in a judgment of $1,840,000 in favor of his client.
$2,600,000 Jury Verdict | Negligence/Wrongful Death
Nate and team represented the family of Phillip Shourds, Jr., who was run over and killed by a teenage driver who was visiting one of the other mobile homes in the park where Phil Jr. lived with his family. The driver had no insurance, so Phil Jr.’s family stood to receive no compensation for their loss. Nate refused to give up, however, and his investigation of the crash revealed that the residents in mobile home parks had previously filed numerous complaints against the driver, including a couple of incidents in which he had put other residents’ lives in danger, but the park took no action against him. After six days of trial, the jury awarded $2,000,000 to the family of Phil Jr. Following trial, Nate and team were able to recover an additional award of $600,000 of attorney’s fees under the Mobile Home Lot Rental Act.
Correctional Facilities: Civil Rights/Negligence
Nate and team represented a man who suffered a broken leg while incarcerated in Montana, and who was left in agonizing pain for 18 days before the prison eventually took him to the hospital for treatment. Nate and team brought a lawsuit alleging that the prison had violated their client’s Civil Rights and had deliberately neglected his suffering. The case was resolved to the mutual satisfaction of all parties.
These are just a few of the results Nate has achieved on behalf of clients. If you or someone you know has been injured, mistreated, or otherwise victimized and you don’t know where to turn, give Nicole or Nate a call. Initial consultations are always free. As the results above demonstrate, if there is a way to achieve justice for an injured client, Nate will find it.