Monthly Archives: December 2019

Thomas Obtains Defense Verdict in Negligence Case

December 27, 2019

On December 12, 2019, Mark Thomas obtained a defense verdict on behalf of two local clients. The case stemmed from an auto accident with disputed liability. At trial, Thomas presented evidence that his client was presented with a sudden emergency and that her conduct was reasonable under these circumstances. A Boone County jury agreed, and […]


Group Home Providing Caretaking Services did not Owe Duty to Child Harmed by one of its Residents

Defendant DAC, Inc. operates a group home that provides home and community based services for disabled persons. On March 25, 2015, a resident of the home with intellectual disabilities and a history of sexual abuse and physical aggression left Defendant’s property without the staff’s knowledge or permission. While missing from the home, the resident approached […]


Iowa Court of Appeals Affirms Dismissal of Gross Negligence Claim

Defendant Jeffrey Clark worked for Apartments Downtown, a property-management business owned by his parents. While he did not have a formal title, Defendant’s duties included assigning workers to complete construction tasks. In April 2014, Defendant tasked Bronson Ganka and two other workers with drilling vent holes in the front of a building. The workers had […]


Iowa Court of Appeals Overturns Recovery of Emotional Distress Damages in Legal Malpractice Action

In 2013, Plaintiffs Rachel and Heidi McFarland hired Defendant Jason Rieper to represent them in adopting a child. On December 30, 2013, two days after the child’s birth, the birth mother signed an authorization to discharge the baby to Defendant, who then left the hospital and delivered the baby to the Plaintiffs. Prior to the […]