The Law Office of Thaxter A. Cooper, P.A., brings claims for injury victims and their families in usual and unusual circumstances. The firm has made substantial recoveries in medical and dental malpractice, pharmacy negligence, wrongful death, automobile negligence, premises liability, and negligent workmanship-construction claims, including claims of negligent medical treatment in VA facilities and prisons operated by the Florida Department of Corrections. Mr. Cooper has been litigating civil injury claims since 1993, and the staff has over 30 years’ combined legal experience. Firm clients get an accessible, experienced, goal driven attorney whose calling card is candor.
Representative Cases
The firm obtained substantial six and seven figure settlements in the cases described below.
Mr. A, a laborer, was injured during the collapse of a chemical storage tank. The company whose substandard welding caused the tank failure had to compensate Mr. A and reimburse his worker’s compensation carrier for benefits it paid.
A VA doctor prescribed a potentially toxic antibiotic to Mr. B, an elderly, retired Navy veteran, to clear an infection in his heart lining. The pharmacy responsible for home administration of the antibiotic misread the prescription, improperly dosed the drug, and failed to accurately monitor Mr. B’s serum concentration. In addition, mistakes by home health nurses delayed discovery of and thus extended the period of overexposure. In combination, these errors caused a permanent loss of balance. The VA, the pharmacy, and the home health agency funded Mr. B’s past and future medical treatment and compensated him handsomely for his disability and lifestyle limitations.
Mr. C presented to a VA hospital emergency room with symptoms that should have triggered a stroke assessment and diagnosis. By misdiagnosing the condition and prescribing pain pills, the doctor delayed the treatment of an ongoing stroke. Mr. C won a life changing settlement despite uncertainty about how much timely treatment would have improved his outcome.
Mr. D, a retired VA patient, suffered kidney damage because a practitioner misread lab tests results signaling the presence of a treatable condition that obstructed urine flow. The delayed diagnosis resulted in permanent loss of kidney function. The VA funded past and future medical care (including the cost of transplantation) and compensated his disability despite Mr. D’s advanced age.
The estate of toddler E, who drowned in a neighbor’s pool, received a policy limits seven figure settlement on a claim based upon negligent pool maintenance.
Teenager F was hit by a vehicle while walking to a bus stop before daylight. The firm made recoveries from the negligent driver, including excess auto insurance coverage, the developer and HOA of the inadequately lit subdivision, and the adult caretaker who should have prevented the incident.
Ms. G suffered a herniated cervical disc as a result of tripping and falling over a dislodged carpet border transition strip in a fast food restaurant. The firm obtained full compensation for medical treatment and loss of enjoyment of life for this previously disabled worker.
Ms. H had a tumor in her jaw, which was visible on an x-ray taken during the initial visit and could have been removed at that time with little complication. However, the tumor went unnoticed for over 12 months of continued treatment, growing to dimensions that complicated its removal and worsened Ms. H’s outcome.
Mr. I, a retired VA patient, died of colon cancer. His physician’s failure to prescribe cancer screening tests delayed diagnosis, which would have extended and improved the quality of Mr. I’s life. No medical expense was incurred due to the delayed diagnosis, and the firm made a substantial recovery for the mental anguish of Mr. I’s widow and sons.
Mr. K, a self-employed painter, was injured when he fell through an unguarded skylight while painting the roof of a trucking depot. The firm prevailed in a claim against the trucking company for failing to install skylight guards.
Mrs. L, a hospice patient with a defective pacemaker, died as a result of complications in removing and replacing the device. The family recovered from the surgeon and hospital despite Mrs. L’s short life expectancy.
Occasionally, the Firm pursues claims for non-monetary relief
The firm successfully appealed a county official’s termination of manager J, who was employed by a federally funded social services program. The firm successfully challenged the official’s authority to terminate the employee and persuaded the program’s governing body to address the concerns through additional training.
Here are examples of pro-bono representation.
The firm defended an heir to homestead property against a foreclosure filed by a fire remediation contractor. Under the homeowner’s original agreement, the contractor was supposed to perform work only after receiving authorization from the homeowner’s insurance company. The contractor agreed to look only to the insurance company for payment. Before the work was complete, the home owner died, and a dispute arose between the insurer and contractor about the scope of work that had been approved. Refusing to accept an insurance payment, the contractor placed a fraudulent lien on the property and sought to force the sale of the home to pay the lien. The firm got the contractor to dismiss the lawsuit and release the lien for less than the amount previously offered by the insurance company.
The firm got the Court to vacate a foreclosure judgment and sale five months after the sale, preventing the loss of over $75,000 in home equity.