Firm News

Autoliv abandons its appeal of Court Order finding seatbelt defective, pays $56 million to settle 2022 Judgment

July 27, 2023 For immediate release. MEDIA CONTACT – James E. (Jim) Butler, Jr. (jim@butlerprather.com) – office 800-242-2962, cell 706-315-5018; Tedra L. Cannella (tedra@cannellasnyder.com) – cell 404-831-5462, 404-800-4828 office. Please copy Susie Wynn (susie@butlerprather.com) on any emails, just in case we miss the email. Today Autoliv of Japan paid $56 million to settle the Andrews v. Autoliv case which resulted in a $127 million bench verdict on January 3, 2022.1 The case was tried before Judge Steve C. Jones of the Northern District of Georgia in October 2021. The payments were made on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Plaintiff was represented… read more

Gun manufacturer Sig Sauer sued for causing the death of 21 year old Bainbridge Georgia resident

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 6, 2023 Contact: Ramsey B. Prather ramsey@butlerprather.com ; 800-242-2962 Or Daniel E. Philyaw dan@butlerprather.com; 800-242-2962 Gun manufacturer Sig Sauer sued for causing the death of 21 year old Bainbridge Georgia resident Sig Sauer, Inc., a New Hampshire manufacturer of handguns, has been sued for causing the death of 21 year old Dalton Harrell of Bainbridge Georgia on December 15, 2021. Dalton was a student at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee Florida and a star pitcher for the baseball team who was being scouted by professional baseball. Dalton was home for the Christmas holidays and playing golf… read more

Solar Farm Trial Victors Aim To Close Exits For $135M Liability

Law360 (May 3, 2023, 7:33 PM EDT) — A Georgia couple who won $135.5 million at trial against the owner and developers of a neighboring solar farm powering a Facebook data center have asked a Georgia federal judge to prevent the companies from trying to derail the judgment by entering liability findings against them. Shaun and Amie Harris and their company H&L Farms LLC said in a notice Tuesday that Tennessee-based Lumpkin Solar Farm owner Silicon Ranch Corp. should be liable for contractor Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives Inc. and its subsidiary IEA Constructors LLC after a jury blamed the companies… read more

Stewart County Couple Awarded Over $135 Million by Federal Jury

When people come to Georgia to do business, they have to follow the law and respect our citizens. Silicon Ranch Corporation (SRC) and its contractor Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc. (IEA) thought they could get away with spreading lies and despoiling natural resources in Stewart County. Now they’re going to pay for what they did. On April 28th, a U.S. District Court jury awarded lifetime Stewart County residents Shaun and Amie Harris $135.5 million for damage done to their property by the Tennessee solar company, its contractor, and the contractor’s subsidiary, IEA Constructors.

Georgia Jury Returns $1.7 Billion Punitive Damages Verdict Against Ford Motor Company

Today a jury in Gwinnett County Georgia answered the question left pending by their verdict rendered yesterday: what amount of punitive damages should be imposed against Ford Motor Company for selling 5.2 million “Super Duty” trucks with a dangerously weak roof that would crush down on occupants during a rollover wreck. The unanimous jury imposed $1.7 billion in punitive damages against Ford. Yesterday the jury returned a verdict for Plaintiffs Kim and Adam Hill for the wrongful deaths of their parents, Voncile and Melvin Hill, and for pain & suffering by their parents after the rollover wreck of their 2002… read more

James E Butler Courtroom Dedication Ceremony at University of Georgia School of Law held on 11/11/2016

The UGA School of Law recently dedicated the James E. Butler Courtroom in the school’s Rusk Hall, honoring three generations of the Butler family: James E. Butler, 1977 alumnus James E. “Jim” Butler Jr. and 2008 alumnus James E. “Jeb” Butler III. Jim Butler has had a large impact on the legal profession both inside and outside the courtroom. Jim Butler also has been a generous donor to the law school, establishing the James E. Butler Scholarship. “Jim Butler’s investment in the School of Law is an investment in the people whom it produces and the values they will reflect… read more

“An Amazing Impact on Consumer Safety:” Meet the Lawyer with Seven $100M Verdicts

See the original article on firm founder Jim Butler’s track record of wins in ALM’s Daily Report Online or 2022-01-07 FCDR- ‘An Amazing Impact on Consumer Safety’_ Meet the Lawyer With Seven $100M….

$127M New Year’s Verdict in Eight Year Seat Belt Case

An eight-year product liability case resulted in a $127M order and judgement. See the original article on ALM’s Daily Report Online or download a PDF copy here.

Butler Wooten & Peak Splits Into Three New Firms

See the original article on firm founder Jim Butler’s track record of wins in ALM’s Daily Report Online or download a pdf copy here.

BP LLP to Co-chair False Claims Act Summit

BP LLP is pleased to co-chair the Second Annual False Claims Act Summit on Wednesday, December 9. The seminar will be virtual this year.  Click on the link below for more info & registration info about the CLE. In 2019 alone, under the False Claims Act (“FCA”), the federal government recovered over $3 billion against those who defrauded the federal government, and paid $265 million to the whistleblowers who exposed that fraud and abuse.   You can learn more about these cases and what it takes to pursue one at the 2nd Annual (virtual) FCA Summit on Wednesday, December 9 at… read more