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Case:
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Prudential Plaza Associates v. Turner Construction Company
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Venue:
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Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
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Judge:
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Dean M. Trafelet.
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Client:
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Defendant Turner Construction Company.
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Facts:
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Breach of contract suit against the general contractor Turner seeking $48 million in delay damages and remedial damages arising out of the construction of Two Prudential Plaza, a 64 story hi–rise office building in Chicago. Turner counter–sued for $9 million for breach of contract and promissory fraud.
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Result:
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Defense verdict for Turner on original complaint. Verdict for Turner on counterclaims. (Selected by The National Law Journal as an Outstanding Defense Verdict.)
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Case:
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Peterson v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
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Venue:
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Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
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Judge:
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Irwin J. Solganick
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Client:
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Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
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Facts:
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Product liability suit seeking $21 million in damages for quadriplegia arising out of the allegedly defectively manufactured tire and defectively designed Ford Bronco (Ford settled prior to trial for $1.4 million).
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Result:
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Defense verdict in favor of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Verdict against a co–defendant, a Goodyear franchisee (not represented by Williams & Montgomery) for $12,650,000. (Selected by the National Law Journal as an Outstanding Defense Verdict.)
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Case:
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Smith v. Black & Decker
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Venue:
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Circuit Court of Will County, Illinois.
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Judge:
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Herman S. Haase.
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Client:
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Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc.
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Facts:
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Product liability suit seeking $12 million compensatory and punitive damages arising out of alleged defective design of Black & Decker power equipment.
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Result:
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Verdict for Black & Decker. (Selected by The National Law Journal as an Outstanding Defense Verdict.)
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Case:
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Ailey v. Northwestern Memorial Hospital
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Venue:
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Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
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Judge:
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Edward R. Burr.
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Client:
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Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
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Facts:
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Medical malpractice suit seeking damages for brain damage to newborn resulting from failed forceps delivery.
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Result:
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Verdict for hospital. (Selected by The National Law Journal as an Outstanding Defense Verdict.)
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Case:
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Garcez v. Dr. Fritz Michel
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Venue:
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Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
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Judge:
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Irwin Solganick
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Client:
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Dr. Fritz Michel
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Facts:
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Defended an obstetrician in a medical malpractice case alleging misdiagnosis of a placental abruption resulting in cerebral palsy.
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Result:
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Verdict for defendant. (Selected by The National Law Journal as an Outstanding Defense Verdict.)
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Case:
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International Financial Corporation v. Chromas Technologies Canada, Inc.
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Venue:
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United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
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Judge:
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David Coar
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Client:
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International Financial Services Corporation, plaintiff
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Facts:
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International Financial Services Corporation sought damages from Chromas Technologies, a Division of Didde Web Press Corporation, for the defendant's failure to build a one-of-a-kind printing press. An action was also brought against Chromas Technologies Canada, Inc. alleging that corporation was the alter ego of Chromas Technologies, a Division of Didde Web Press Corporation, which had filed for bankruptcy. Plaintiffs asked jury for $10.5 million.
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Result:
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The jury rendered a verdict in favor of International Financial Services Corporation for $1,099,277 plus attorney's fees against Chromas Technologies Canada pursuant to the alter ego theory.
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Case:
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Eiccholz v. Kritsas
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Venue:
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Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
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Judge:
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Richard Berland
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Client:
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Dr. John Kritsas
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Facts:
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On August 11, 1998, William Eiccholz underwent a radical retropubic prostatectomy for the removal of his cancerous prostate gland. The surgery was performed at Hinsdale Hospital by Dr. John Kritsas and Dr. Rebecca Preston. Dr. Kritsas used a Bookwalter self-retaining retractor to separate and hold the plaintiff's abdominal muscle tissues. Following surgery, it was discovered that the plaintiff had lost function of his left lower extremity due to injury to the femoral nerve. The plaintiff claimed that Dr. Kritsas placed one of the retractor blades from the Bookwalter retractor on the psoas muscle or the femoral canal, resulting in undue pressure on the femoral canal and subsequent permanent nerve damage. The defense argued that the blades of the retractor were not long enough to reach the psoas muscle of the femoral canal and could not have been the cause of the plaintiff's nerve damage. The defense offered several other alternative explanations for the nerve damage, including the possible stretching of the nerve when the surgical table was "broken" and tilted downward to allow the defendant greater access to the surgical field, a known risk of the surgery. The plaintiff asked the jury to award him $2,342,746.
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Result:
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After an hour of deliberation, the jury returned a not guilty verdict in favor of Dr. Kritsas.
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Case:
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Fears, Beltran and Castaneda v. Yellow Freight Systems, Inc., David Callis and Christopher Mosley
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Venue:
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Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
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Judge:
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Daniel J. Kelley
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Client:
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Yellow Freight Systems, Inc. and David Callis
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Facts:
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Represented Yellow Freight, a trucking company, in a truck-automobile collision suit. The plaintiff, Tanisha Fears, was a passenger in an automobile driven by a co-defendant, Christopher Mosley, which was involved in a sideswipe collision after which the Mosley automobile crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming car containing the other two plaintiffs, Beltran and Castaneda. Fears sustained multiple fractures and internal injuries, a serious brain injury, and quadriparesis with cognitive deficits requiring 24 hour care. The plaintiff asked the jury for an award of $40 million.
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Result:
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Verdict for defendants Yellow Freight and its driver.
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Case:
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Martinez v. Ergonomics and Safety Services, Inc., et al
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Venue:
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United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
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Judge:
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David Coar
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Client:
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Ergonomics and Safety Services, Inc.
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Facts:
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Represented the defendant, a safety consulting company, in a negligence suit involving an injury to a laborer on a construction site. The plaintiff was struck by a piece of plywood which was located in the area above where plaintiff was working. He claimed that he suffered serious shoulder injuries which rendered him permanently disabled. Plaintiff alleged that Ergonomics and Safety Systems, Inc. was negligent by failing to detect the presence of the plywood. Plaintiff asked the jury for $4.5 million.
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Result:
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Verdict for defendant.
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Case:
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Cairns v. Ty-Walk Liquid Sales, Inc., et al
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Venue:
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Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
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Judge:
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Jim Garrison
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Client:
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Ty-Walk Liquid Sales, Inc. and Thomas Fregeau
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Facts:
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Represented trucking company and tractor-trailer driver in suit arising from a truck-automobile collision. The estates of the deceased driver and automobile passenger sought damages for their alleged wrongful deaths. Plaintiffs asked jury for $10.5 million.
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Result:
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Verdict for defendants.
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Case:
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Ryan v. Canteen Corporation and Willie C. Williams
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Venue:
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Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
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Judge:
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Mary Mulhern
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Client:
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Canteen Corporation and Willie C. Williams
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Facts:
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Represented trucking company and tractor-trailer driver in suit arising out of a six-vehicle accident. The estate of the deceased driver of one of the vehicles sought damages for the loss of society of the decedent's family members, as well as damages for the medical expenses incurred prior to the decedent's death. The plaintiff asked the jury to award $2 million in damages.
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Result:
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Verdict for defendants.
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Case:
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WINFertility, Inc. v. IntegraMed, Inc.
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Venue:
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Supreme Court of the State of New York
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Client:
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WINFertility, Inc.
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Facts:
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Breach of contract action. The defendant, IntegraMed, Inc., had filed a cross-claim against WINFertility also alleging breach of contract.
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Result:
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After a three week trial, the jury found that IntegraMed had breached the contract and WINFertility had not and awarded WINFertility damages caused by the breach.
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Case:
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Mesman v. Crane Pro Services
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Venue:
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United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana
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Client:
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Crane Pro Services, a division of Konecranes, Inc.
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Facts:
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On January 16, 1998, the plaintiff was injured while working as a laborer for Infra-Metals, a company that sold sheets of steel. Plaintiff was in the process of unloading steel sheets from a railcar in the Infra-Metals plant while using a 10 ton overhead crane. The crane had originally been manufactured by Whiting Corporation and installed in the plant in the 1940s. Williams Montgomery & John represented Crane Pro Services, a division of Konecranes, Inc., who, in 1997, had modernized the Whiting crane by installing all new motors and lifting systems. On the day of the accident, the plaintiff was hooking up 20,000 pound loads of steel sheets to a spreader bar used by Infra-Metals for that purpose. The bar allegedly struck the bottom of the cab of the crane, causing the load to tilt and the sheets to slide, one of which struck the plaintiff, traumatically amputating his left leg below the knee and crushing his right ankle. The case was tried to verdict by another firm in 2003. At that time, the plaintiff obtained a verdict of $16 million, which was reduced by 65% because of allocation of fault to plaintiff's employer, Infra-Metals. No fault was allocated to the plaintiff. The case was reversed on appeal and a new trial was ordered. The plaintiff asked for $17 million.
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Result:
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The jury returned a not guilty verdict in favor of Crane Pro Services.
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Case:
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Alcala v. Emhart Industries
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Venue:
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United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
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Client:
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Emhart Industries
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Facts:
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Emhart is the successor to Turner Tanning Machinery Company, the manufacturer of a splitting machine which was being used by the plaintiff, Isidro Alcala, to cut rubber tires on April 24, 2001. The plaintiff's hand became caught in the feed rollers of the machine and drawn into a rotating knife blade causing complete amputation of his thumb and all four fingers on his left hand. Alcala contended that the machine was negligently designed without a point of operation guard, a claim that the defendant denied.
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Result:
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The jury deliberated less than an hour before returning its not guilty verdict.
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