Judge determines settlement percentages in Sandbridge deck collapse case

[Blue_Tires]

The 36 plaintiffs who were injured when a deck of a Sandbridge home collapsed during a wedding five years ago can now start collecting their piece of a settlement.

Circuit Judge William R. “Buster” O’Brien entered an order in Virginia Beach Circuit Court today that lays out the percentages of a $375,000 settlement each of the plaintiffs and their attorneys should receive.

The settlement stems from the collapse of the third-story deck of a beachfront home called Sun Haven on Oct. 8, 2005. Amanda Hall and Kristopher Hoke had rented the home at 2576 Sandfiddler Road for their wedding. The third-floor deck buckled just as the couple was about to celebrate their first toast.

Some guests fell into the pool or onto a patio and suffered serious injuries. City officials later found that the deck had been nailed to the house instead of bolted to the frame.

One guest, David Falls, fractured a vertebra and ruptured his colon. He had to spend almost four months in the hospital.

He and his wife, who was also injured, were awarded nearly 40 percent of the settlement.

All told, the plaintiffs in the case had medical bills of more than $555,000.

The plaintiffs – including the bride and groom – sued property owners Earle and Patricia Mulrane and their insurance company.

The couple’s insurance company paid $300,000 toward the settlement – the amount of liability coverage the Mulranes had purchased for the home.

O’Brien said during a hearing in the fall that he felt frustrated by the amount of the settlement because it didn’t compensate the plaintiffs for the “horrendous injuries that are going to have a tremendous impact on the rest of their lives.”

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/02/judge-determines-settlement-percentages-sandbridge-deck-collapse-case