Published Decisions Involving The Williamson Law Firm Mississippi Injury Attorneys

Lawson v. Honeywell International, Inc

The Edward A Williamson Law Firm filed a civil action in Wayne County for injuries sustained by Pamela Lawson (see summary of case on current events page) filed on March 6, 2008. The trial court for Wayne County, Mississippi, dismissed the case against Honeywell International Incorporated, a co-designer of the unsafe, Gen-3 buckle which did not hold Pamela Lawson in the roll over accident, holding that under the Mississippi Products Liability Act, there was no right of action against the designer of a defective Product and, therefore, there was not remedy for the negligent design of the dangerous and defective safety buckle. The Edward A. Williamson Law Firm appealed the case to the Mississippi Supreme Court on behalf of the Plaintiff arguing that if negligent design was not included as a remedy under the MPLA, then the Plaintiffs common law action for negligent design still stood: was not "abrogated by the statute. In its decision handed down October, 19. 2011, the Supreme Court of the State of Mississippi agreed, and held that the MPLA. Mississippi Product Liability Act, did not cover the Plaintiffs negligence claim, but did not abrogate, that is, did not take away, the common law right to sue for negligent design. The defendant Honeywell International, Inc. has fifteen days in which to file its petition for re-hearing. As of this writing, Honeywell of this had not decided on its course of action. After which time the case will be remanded to the Trial Court of Wayne County to be place on the trial docket.

Parkerson v. Town & Country Mobile Homes and Wayne Smith, et al

In a 5-3 decision, the Mississippi Supreme Court held that the pre-disputed arbitration provision in the financing agreement signed by the plaintiff and appellant, Ms. Parkerson, was not enforceable.

In a separate concurring opinion joined by Justices McCrae, Easley, and Graves, Justice Diaz opined that the arbitration clause in question was unenforceable because it was unconscionable. Justice Diaz pointed out that the burden was on the proponent of the arbitration clause to prove that Parkerson validly waived her Constitutional rights to jury trial "knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily.

Branning v. Hinds Community College District, So 2d (Miss. 1999)

The Mississippi Supreme Court held that the community college owed no non-delegable duty of care to its resident student, April Tenille Branning, and was not responsible for any act of negligence committed by its airport manager because, the airport manager was an independent contractor under state law, even though Hinds' records indicated the airport manager as an "officer" of Hinds.

Harrison v. Boyd Mississippi, Inc., 700 So. 2d 247 (Miss. 1997)

The Mississippi Supreme Court, in an 8 to 1 decision, held that Mississippi State Courts have exclusive jurisdiction of torts committed by or upon non-tribal members on Mississippi's only land based casino "Indian Country".

Cheatham v. Cheatham, 573 So. 2d 435 (Miss. 1988)

The Mississippi Supreme Court set out the criteria for awarding lump sum alimony as a result of our successful appeal.

Hall v. Hilbun, 466 So. 2d 856 (Miss. 1985)

Mr. Williamson was the author of the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association's, now the Mississippi Association for Justice, amicus curlae brief, which was presented to the Mississippi Supreme Court on the petition for rehearing in Hall v. Hillbun, as a result of which the locality rule, which had defined the standard of care owed by medical practitioners, only in terms of what local practitioners could and did do and also prohibited testimony by out-of-state doctors against in-state medical malpractice defendants, was abrogated by the Mississippi Supreme Court. That was the first amicus brief, ever presented to and accepted, by the Mississippi Supreme Court. After the successful filing of that brief authored and offered by Edward A. Williamson, the Court drafted its rule which basically followed the procedure that was utilized in that filing.

Lewis v. Soriano, 374 So. 2d 829 (Miss. 1979)

Mr. Williamson was the Appellant's attorney in Lewis v. Soriano wherein the Mississippi Supreme Court held a general practitioner of medicine liable under the standards applicable to a specialist in certain circumstances.

If you would like more information about our published decisions or other successful litigation, please ask to speak with a Mississippi personal injury attorney at our law firm now. If you are interested in setting up a consultation with a Mississippi truck accident attorney, we would be happy to review your case at no charge.