Significant Settlements, Verdicts and Litigation...

In 2007, Case Number CV2007-336 - Washington, Lloyd and Henderson Law Firm sued the Birmigham Board of Education on behalf of Mr. Ronald E. Jackson, Executive Director of Citizens for Better Schools pursuant to Ala Code section 36-12-40. In this case, Plaintiff Jackson was forced to sue the Birmingham Board of Education because of its failure to provide public records for some 16 months after he made requests.

As a result of this litigation, the Jefferson County Circuit Court-Bessemer Division ordered the Birmingham Board to promulgate a public records policy that complies with the Alabama Public Records Act.

In 2008, Case Number CV2008-155 - Jeferson County Bessemer Division - Washington, Lloyd & Henderson Law Firm sued the City of Bessemer, Alabama on behalf of Mr. Ronald E. Jackson, Executive Director of Citizens for Better Schools for its failure to remit at least five million dollars in city sales tax and county ad valorem taxes that are due to the Bessemer, Alabama School System. The expected result of this litigation is that the Jefferson County Circuit Court will enjoin the City of Bessemer, Alabama from illegally withholding this money from the Bessemer School System.

In 2008, Case Number CV2008-913 - Jefferson County Bessemer Division - Washington, Lloyd & Henderson sued the City of Hoover, Alabama School Board on behalf of Patricia Crain, President of the Hoover School Network for its failure to comply with her Alabama Public Records Act request. As a result of this litigation, plaintiff received hre requested records and other terms of a confidential settlement were entered into.

In 2008, Case Number CV2008-330 - Jefferson County Bessemer Division - Ronald E. Jackson was forced to sue the Birmingham Board of Education for violation of Birmingham's Open Meetings Act - Ala Code Section 36-25 et.seq., and for violation of Birmingham Board of Education policy # 21-60. This case is currently on appeal before the Alabama Civil Court of Appeals.

In 2009, Case Number CV2009-660, Jefferson County Bessemer Division, Washington Lloyd & Henderson Law Firm sued for injunctive relief on behalf of the Mayor of Fairfield, Alabama, Kenneth Coachman, to prevent the Faifield Alabama City Council from divesting the Mayor of his statutorily vested powers of appointment for city employees pursuant to Ala Code Section 11-43-81.

As a result of this litigation, the Jefferson County Circuit Court entered an order permanently enjoining the Fairfield Alabama City Council from enterfering with the mayor's power of appointment.

In 2004, Washington, Lloyd & Henderson (WLH), along with another Alabama law firm reached a confidential settlement with a gas company and a water heater manufacturer over the death of a female minor who was killed when a water heater exploded.  The evidence that WLH uncovered after a lengthy and costly discovery period was that gas fumes seeped from a gas can that the minor's parents kept in a storage room next to the water heater, and were ignited by the water heater's pilot light. The resulting fire burned the minor over two-thirds of her body, which ultimately lead to her death.

Evidence was gathered that the water heater manufacturer had prior knowledge of other similar incidents of gas fume seepage causing serious personal injury and/or death, and that in spite of this knowledge chose not to install an inexpensive metal guard over the pilot light that could have prevented this death.

From 2005 to the present, WLH in conjunction with another Alabama based law firm has screened over 300 mass tort cases, including but not limited to products such as: Accutane, Avandia, Bextra, Celebrex, Crestor, Guidant Ancure stents, Guidant Heart devices, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Hip and Knee replacements, Statins, Vioxx, Welding rod fumes, and Zyprexa.  While many of these mass tort cases did not meet our stringent qualifications to pursue further litigation, some of these cases will be favorably adjudicated through the United States Federal Court System's Multi-District Litigation Class Action settlement procedure.

At present, WLH law firm is representing a number of Vioxx claimants who have met the stringent requirements of the Vioxx Federal Multi District Litigation Panle.  The public details of this settlement are located at http://www.OfficialVioxxSettlement.com.  Additionally, the WLH law firm, along with another Alabama based law firm, has filed a lawsuit in a federal district against the manufacturer of Bextra for serious personal injury sustained by one of our clients.

In 2007, the WLH law firm filed an action for injunctive relief on behalf of the plaintif, Citizens for Better Schools, a public educational advocacy group, in a case of first impression, in Alabama against the Superintendent of the Fairfield, Alabama School System, The Fairfield School Board, and the individual members of the Fairfield School Board for violation of the Alabama Open Meetings Act.  The Alabama circuit court judge who heard the case granted the  injunctive relief they requested. 

  The information you obtain in this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.  You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.