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5 Famous Personal Injury Lawsuit Cases that Made the News

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5 Famous Personal Injury Lawsuit Cases that Made the News

5 Famous Personal Injury Lawsuit Cases that Made the News

Personal injury lawsuits arenโ€™t just about money. Theyโ€™re about fighting back when someone elseโ€™s negligence turns your life upside down. Insurance companies, corporations, and big businesses will do everything in their power to dodge responsibility. You donโ€™t let them. You hold them accountable. You make them pay.

At RUDIN LAW, we donโ€™t play nice when it comes to personal injury cases. The other side doesnโ€™t care about your pain, your lost income, or how your life has been flipped upside down. We do. When corporations and insurance companies think they can get away with negligence, the following five personal injury lawsuit cases prove otherwise.

1. The McDonaldโ€™s Hot Coffee Case โ€“ The Truth They Donโ€™t Want You to Know

Youโ€™ve heard the jokes. “A woman sued McDonaldโ€™s because her coffee was hot.” But letโ€™s get one thing straight: this was not a frivolous lawsuit. It was about corporate negligence.

In 1992, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck spilled a cup of McDonaldโ€™s coffee on her lap. What no one tells you? That coffee was served at 190ยฐFโ€”hot enough to cause third-degree burns in seconds. Liebeck suffered severe burns, required skin grafts, and was hospitalized for eight days.

McDonaldโ€™s knew its coffee was dangerously hot. They had over 700 prior complaints but refused to lower the temperature. Liebeck originally asked for just $20,000 to cover medical bills. McDonaldโ€™s insulted her with an $800 offer.

The jury wasnโ€™t having it. They hit McDonaldโ€™s with $2.7 million in punitive damages. The judge later reduced it, but the message was clear: if you put profits over people, youโ€™ll pay.

2. Grimshaw v. Ford โ€“ The Deadly Cost of Cutting Corners

Ford knew their Pinto was a death trap. They sold it anyway.

The design flaw? A rear-mounted gas tank that exploded on impact. Engineers knew about it, but Ford decided paying for lawsuits was cheaper than fixing the problem. They had the nerve to put a dollar value on human lives.

Then came Richard Grimshaw. He was just 13 when a Pinto he was riding in got rear-ended. The car burst into flames, leaving him with severe burns and lifelong injuries. His family took Ford to court.

The jury made an example out of Ford: $125 million in punitive damages. (Later reduced, but the damage was done.) This case forced automakers to stop treating safety like an option.

3. The O’Hare Airport Shelter Collapse โ€“ A $148 Million Warning

In August 2015, 24-year-old Tierney Darden was standing outside Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport when a pedestrian shelter collapsed on her, leaving her permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Darden sued the City of Chicago, arguing that the shelter had not been properly maintained. The jury sent a message loud and clearโ€”awarding her $148 million in damages, one of the largest personal injury verdicts in Illinois history.

4. The $100 Million Wake-Up Call โ€“ When Insurance Companies Get Burned

Insurance companies love to take your money and run when itโ€™s time to pay up. USAA learned that the hard way.

Timothy Kuhn got rear-ended on a Las Vegas freeway. Instead of doing the right thing, USAA lowballed him, stalled, and played games with his claim. Kuhn wasnโ€™t about to let them get away with it.

The jury hit USAA where it hurts: $100 million in compensatory damages. This case sent a clear warning to insurance companies: if you play dirty, youโ€™ll pay up.

5. Comedianโ€™s Nightmare: Tracy Morgan v. Walmart

Late-night drives can be dangerousโ€”especially when a Walmart truck driver has been awake for more than 24 hours straight.

In 2014, comedian Tracy Morgan was riding in a limousine on the New Jersey Turnpike when a Walmart tractor-trailer slammed into the vehicle at high speed. The crash killed fellow comedian James McNair and left Morgan with a traumatic brain injury, broken ribs, and a shattered leg.

The lawsuit revealed that the Walmart driver hadn’t slept in over a day before getting behind the wheel. Walmart tried to downplay its liability, but in 2015, they settled with Morgan for an undisclosed amount, rumored to be around $90 million.

This case exposed the dangers of driver fatigue and put a spotlight on corporate responsibility in trucking accidents.

What These Cases Teach Us

These lawsuits werenโ€™t just about winning money. They were about exposing lies, forcing change, and holding the powerful accountable. Corporations will cut corners and insurance companies will deny claimsโ€”until someone fights back. When they refuse to do the right thing, you make them. Thatโ€™s what personal injury law is about.

Why You Need a New Orleans Accident Attorney Whoโ€™s Ready to GET RUDE

When insurance companies think you donโ€™t know how pure comparative negligence works, theyโ€™ll try to take advantage of you. At RUDIN LAW, we follow the R-U-D-E Method. We donโ€™t let insurance companies call the shots. Weโ€™re here to make sure they know you mean business.

RESEARCH: Let’s get started with a chat! We’ll walk you through a consultation, pinpointing potential problems and asking for any necessary documents.

UNDERSTAND: By the end, we’ll have a clear understanding of your legal concerns and be able to offer valuable insights and solutions to move forward.

DEVELOP: We’ll develop a customized legal strategy tailored to your specific situation, addressing your concerns and goals.

EXECUTE: We’ll implement the legal strategy, providing expert guidance and advocacy to achieve the desired outcome.

Donโ€™t Let Insurance Companies and Corporations Walk All Over You

Personal injury cases arenโ€™t just about compensationโ€”theyโ€™re about holding the powerful accountable. Whether itโ€™s a reckless driver, a negligent business, or an insurance company looking for loopholes, you push back and fight for whatโ€™s right.

At RUDIN LAW, we donโ€™t believe in passive representation. We take action, get aggressive, expose their tactics, and demand real results. The insurance companies and big businesses donโ€™t care about your pain, but we doโ€”and we make sure they pay for it.

You found this page because youโ€™re looking for a New Orleans personal injury attorney or New Orleans injury attorney who fights back. You found the right team. With over a decade of experience taking on insurance companies and corporations, we know exactly how to make them pay attention.

Itโ€™s time to GET RUDE and take action. Call RUDIN LAW at (504) 500-5504(504) 500-5504 for a FREE case review. Or fill out our confidential online form to get started today.

We fight for injury victims across Louisiana and Texasโ€”because you shouldnโ€™t be left to deal with this alone.

GET HURT? GET HELP. GET RUDE.

Copyright ยฉ 2025. RUDIN LAW. All rights reserved.

The information in this blog post (โ€œpostโ€) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipientโ€™s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

RUDIN LAW
5500 Prytania St. #404
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 500-5504(504) 500-5504
https://www.getrude.com/

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