THIS JUST IN: Cabell County

Dec. 2
Farouk Abadir, Hosny Gabriel, Ricardo Ramos, Alfredo Rivas, Michael Vega and Huntington Anethesiology Group, Inc. v. Mark Dellinger and Bowles, Rice, McDavid, Graff & Love, LLP
PA-William D. Levine; J-Jane Hustead
* The five plaintiffs are anesthesiologists employed at Huntington Anesthesiology Group. In 2002, a fellow anesthesiologist filed suit against the plaintiffs and three other doctors for failing to accommodate her physical limitations. The men hired Dellinger to represent them in the litigation. The suit claims Dellinger agreed to a $250,000 settlement in the case without first consulting them. The plaintiffs are seeking damages in that amount.
Case number: 08-C-980

Nov. 20
Geneva Maynard, as Administratix of the estate of Christopher Ratliff v. The City of Huntington
PA-Paul E. Biser; J-David M. Pancake
*Maynard is suing the city on behalf of Ratliff and is claiming negligence, wrongful death and civil rights violations. The suit alleges that in July 2008, Ratliff was pulled over by two unnamed Huntington Police Department officers and was subsequently hit in the head with a pistol, dragged from his car and beaten to death. Maynard claims the City failed to properly train its officers, violated Ratliff's civil rights and ultimately caused his wrongful death. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Case number: 08-C-986

Nov. 24
Carmichael Equipment Inc. v. Larry Pruitt, Thomas Dennis and Shadow Trailers Inc.
PA-Richard Hayhurst; J-David M. Pancake
* Bidwell, Ohio-based Carmichael Equipment allegedly entered into a dealership agreement with Shadow Trailers that would give Carmichael the dealership rights to sell the trailers at its business. The agreement stipulated that Shadow would not establish competing dealerships within a 150-mile radius of Carmichael, according to the suit. However, the plaintiffs claim Pruitt and Dennis violated that agreement and cost them a substantial amount of money, estimated at $300,000. The company is seeking compensatory damages in that amount, along with punitive damages.
Case number: 08-C-994

Nov. 25
Steel of West Virginia Inc. v. AMI G.E. LLC
PA-Michael Lang; J-Jane Hustead
* Steel of West Virginia contracted the Texas-based AMI to upgrade a transformer control system used in the melting of scrap metal at its Huntington facility. The programmable logic controller (PLC) regulated voltage within an electric furnace. The PLC allegedly failed twice within two weeks of its installation and was unable to be repaired. SOWV estimates it incurred damages in excess of $589,000, related to repair costs of the part and lost profits. The company is seeking damages in the amount of $589,454.45.
Case number: 08-C-998

Nov. 25
Danielle Fields and Jason Fields v. Rebecca Wolfer, M.D., and University Physicians and Surgeons, Inc.
PA-Richard Holtzapfel; J-Jane Hustead
* Dr. Wolfer performed a median sternotomy on Danielle Fields in April 2006 and closed the sternum using sternal wires, according to the suit. Fields claims she then experience subsequent pain in her sternum for several months. The suit alleges Dr. Wolfer was unresponsive to her complaints of pain, leading Fields to seek a second opinion. She then learned the pain was due to a medical mistake made during surgery, specifically the sternal wires were misplaced causing a foreign body reaction. Fields then underwent corrective surgery and is seeking punitive and compensatory damages.
Case number: 08-C-1002