VIRGINIA STATE BAR DISCLAIMER: THE OUTCOME EVERY CASE WILL DEPEND ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE AND CASE RESULTS DEPICTED HERE DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE.
Paul and Richard took off on a test flight of Beechcraft Bonanza just after the fuel pump had been replaced. Immediately after take off, the engine quit and the plane crashed and burned in a grove of sixty foot pines, killing both men. The insurance company claimed the crash was caused by the maintenance work just completed and sued Paul's and Steve's employer for negligent maintenance. But Jeremiah Denton proved the actual cause of the accident was a defect in a fuel control unit component a 70th of an inch in length, which had existed since the overhaul of the engine some years earlier. After defeating the insurance company, Jeremiah Denton turned around and sued the engine manufacturer for wrongful death on behalf of the families. After a two-week trial, the jury rendered a verdict of $1.7 million, although the case ultimately settled for half that figure.
