Our Record
Speaks for Itself

Gray Broughton, Sharif Gray, Zachary Grubaugh, and Nathan Hittle represented a 13-year-old boy who was physically abused by a staff member at a psychiatric residential treatment facility in Berryville, Virginia. The client was placed at the facility due to a history of significant trauma, including childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect. The facility marketed itself as a safe, therapeutic environment for vulnerable youth.

A staff member physically dragged the client across the floor by his clothing, which wrapped around his neck. The incident was captured on surveillance video. A separate video showing the client’s condition in the hallway immediately following the incident — corroborated by multiple witnesses, including an independent law enforcement officer — was erased by the facility and never produced during discovery.

The defense’s theory was that the client arrived at the facility with a host of pre-existing diagnoses, including PTSD, anxiety, ADHD, and ODD, and that the incident caused no additional harm to a child who was already damaged. The plaintiff countered that the client’s vulnerability made the facility’s duty of care greater, not lesser. The defense’s own expert characterized the incident as “relatively minuscule.” The plaintiff presented no economic damages and called four lay witnesses. The defense called fourteen witnesses, including two psychiatrists. The jury rejected the defense’s valuation entirely and returned a $20,000,000 verdict.

Sharif Gray represented a man in his late 30’s who suffered catastrophic injuries when the Defendant, while racing on a residential road, crashed into him head- on. The client sustained a broken back, two broken legs, underwent five surgeries, and spent months in the hospital. Sharif tried the case before a judge in Chesterfield County, resulting in a $10,000,000 verdict.

Gray Broughton represented a seven-year-old boy who suffered a traumatic brain injury and lost his right leg above the knee after his family’s car was rear- ended by a pick-up truck hauling a utility trailer. Gray Broughton was able to settle his client’s case for $10,000,000 shortly after filing suit. The client’s net proceeds were structured to ensure that he can be compensated for life. He is a tremendous young man who has overcome daunting odds. We wish him all the best for his future.

Gray Broughton, Zac Grubaugh and Sharif Gray represented a 56-year-old woman who was on her way to lunch, waiting at a stop light, when she was hit by a commercial pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction. The pickup truck drove over the median and hit our client’s vehicle head-on. Our client’s last memory before the crash was sitting at the stop light; her next memory was being extracted out of her vehicle by first responders before losing consciousness again. Our client suffered a broken femur, torn knee ligaments, multiple lacerations, and a mild traumatic brain injury. She underwent multiple surgeries and was out of work for several weeks. The extent of her brain injury was not known until more than two years after the collision after the prior law firm was terminated and Broughton Injury Law was retained. Both the defendant driver and the defendant corporation contested liability. The defendant driver claimed that he was working for his employer while driving a company-leased truck at the time of the collision. However, the defendant corporation claimed that although the defendant driver was an employee on the date of the collision and was driving a corporate vehicle, he was not within the scope of his employment at the time of the collision because it was his day off, use of the vehicle was unauthorized, and the collision occurred on his way home from a personal doctor’s appointment. The collision happened after the defendant driver left a fast-food restaurant’s drive-thru. The defendant driver initially claimed that he choked on French fries and lost consciousness, which caused the collision. The defendant driver later claimed that he had not choked on French fries but instead lost consciousness due to a medical condition, raising a medical emergency defense. We rejected the defendants’ request to mediate the case. The case settled for $2,700,000 one day before our time- sensitive demand for that amount expired, which was three months before trial.

Sharif Gray represented a lady who tripped over a poorly positioned mat placed at the entrance of a retail store. Because of the fall, she had to undergo a second knee replacement surgery and a difficult recovery. The insurance company offered $350,000 to settle the case days before the trial. That offer was rejected, and the case was tried to a jury resulting in a $1,500,000 verdict.

Gray Broughton, Zac Grubaugh and Sharif Gray of Broughton Injury Law represented the plaintiff. Plaintiff was driving home from work when she was rear-ended by commercial van operated by the corporate defendant’s distracted employee. Plaintiff hit her head on the steering wheel, which caused a contusion. She suffered sprains of her wrist, shoulder, and cervical spine. Plaintiff also suffered prolapsed cervical and lumbar discs. The plaintiff underwent several cervical and lumbar spine facet injections and epidural injections with little improvement to her pain. Plaintiff eventually underwent a cervical discectomy. An MRI of the plaintiff’s brain showed bifrontal temporal volume loss and a partially empty sella. The case settled for $1,350,000 nearly four months before trial just before the expiration of a time-sensitive demand.

Gray Broughton, Zac Grubaugh, and Sharif Gray represented the plaintiff, who was driving home from work when she was rear-ended by a commercial van operated by the corporate defendant’s distracted employee. The plaintiff hit her head on the steering wheel, causing a contusion. She suffered sprains of her wrist, shoulder, and cervical spine, as well as prolapsed cervical and lumbar discs. She underwent several cervical and lumbar spine facet injections and epidural injections with little improvement to her pain and eventually underwent a cervical discectomy. An MRI of the plaintiff’s brain showed bifrontal temporal volume loss and a partially empty sella. The case settled for $1,350,000 nearly four months before trial, just before the expiration of a time-sensitive demand.

Gray Broughton represented an attorney who suffered a traumatic brain injury after his car was struck by a commercial vehicle. After missing a year of work and undergoing intensive therapy, he was able to make a full recovery and return to work. Gray Broughton was able to settle his case for the $1,250,000 policy limits shortly before depositions.

Sharif Gray, Gray Broughton and Zac Grubaugh represented a 30-year-old man who suffered a brain injury and severe orthopedic injuries in a head-on collision. Our client and the at-fault driver were travelling in opposite directions on a two lane road in Chesterfield County when the at-fault driver lost control, crossed the double-yellow lines and collided head-on with our client. The at-fault driver was tried and found guilty of reckless driving. Our client suffered life-altering injuries, including three broken vertebrae, four broken ribs, a mild traumatic brain injury and a hip injury requiring surgical repair. Prior to retaining Broughton Injury Law, our client tried to negotiate a settlement on his own with the help of his father, resulting in no offers. Shortly after our client retained Broughton Injury Law, we presented Erie Insurance with a time-sensitive policy limits settlement demand and supplemented it with additional evidence prior to the deadline. The insurance company agreed to pay the full $1,250,000 in policy limits prior to the deadline.

Gray Broughton, Sharif Gray, and Nathan Hittle represented the plaintiff, who sustained fractured ribs and a broken finger due to a dangerous condition on the defendant’s property. Evidence established that the defendant had prior knowledge of the hazardous condition but failed to remedy it. The defendant contested liability, arguing contributory negligence. Expert testimony established that the plaintiff’s conduct was ordinary and reasonable. The case settled two days before trial.

Gray Broughton, Sharif Gray, and Zachary Grubaugh represented a 33-year-old plaintiff who was stopped in traffic when rear-ended by a commercial dump truck traveling at excessive speed. The defendant driver admitted to operating the vehicle with worn brakes and inadequate following distance. The plaintiff sustained a traumatic brain injury and cervical and lumbar spine injuries requiring multiple surgeries with permanent hardware implantation. The defense heavily contested the medical treatment and expenses because the plaintiff received care on the West Coast rather than in Virginia. The case resolved prior to the expiration of a time-sensitive policy limits demand.

Gray Broughton and Sharif Gray represented a plaintiff who was being transported to a medical appointment by a medical transport company through Modivcare when the driver suddenly braked to avoid a stopped vehicle. The plaintiff’s wheelchair, which the driver had improperly secured, lunged forward and caused severe trauma to the plaintiff’s foot. The resulting fracture led to infection and osteomyelitis, ultimately requiring amputation of the fourth toe. The plaintiff underwent extensive medical treatment, including surgery, IV antibiotics, wound care, multiple hospitalizations, and long-term rehabilitation. The plaintiff lost independence and now relies on others for basic daily activities, and suffered significant emotional harm after being unable to attend important family events due to the injuries. Because the medical transport company failed to follow basic safety procedures for securing the wheelchair, the case settled pre-litigation for the full remaining policy limits of $1,000,000.

Gray Broughton, Zac Grubaugh and Sharif Gray of Broughton Injury Law represented the plaintiff. The plaintiff was driving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 81 when he was rear-ended at 70 mph by another tractor-trailer operated by a distracted driver. The impact of the collision was so severe that despite being seat-belted, the plaintiff was thrown about the cab of his truck. The plaintiff’s head, neck and back were jerked forward, backward, and laterally with tremendous force. For months following the collision, the plaintiff suffered from debilitating headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, and back pain with numbness in his legs. The plaintiff ultimately underwent back surgery. Due to his chronic pain and subsequent surgery, the plaintiff suffered a significant loss of earnings. The case settled for the remaining policy limits of $927,425.00 shortly after discovery was exchanged and a time-sensitive demand was issued.

Sharif Gray, Gray Broughton, and Zac Grubaugh of Broughton Injury Law represented the plaintiff. Plaintiff visited a popular Charlottesville bar owned by the corporate defendant, when the individual defendant – one of the bar’s bouncers – punched him without provocation. The assault, captured on video and corroborated by an independent eyewitness, knocked Plaintiff unconscious. The bouncer later pleaded guilty to assault and battery in criminal court. Despite having video evidence that its bouncer had punched another patron just two months earlier, the corporate defendant continued to employ the individual defendant as a bouncer. Plaintiff suffered a traumatic brain injury and an orbital fracture. Plaintiff, who moved out-of-state following the assault, did not suffer a loss of earnings and his medical bills were minimal. The case was heavily litigated and resolved three months before trial.

Gray Broughton represented an 83-year-old woman who slipped and fell on a restaurant floor. The fall broke her right shoulder in three places; it also broke her right hip. Liability was highly contested. Through his investigation, Gray Broughton was able to prove that the restaurant had not been mopping its floors properly and knew that its floors were abnormally slick. Gray Broughton settled her case two months before trial for $750,000.

Gray Broughton represented a tractor-trailer driver who was injured when another tractor-trailer pulled out in front of him from the shoulder of the highway. The crash injured his kidney and left hip. Causation was contested since the client continued to work and did not receive treatment until over a month after the collision. Gray Broughton was able to settle the case before trial for $700,000.

Gray Broughton, Zac Grubaugh and Sharif Gray represented a 45-year-old woman who was injured in a collision involving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 81 while driving from Virginia to Texas. The defendant tractor-trailer driver switched lanes unexpectedly, striking our client’s car and causing it to run off the road and hit the guardrail before spinning out and hitting the guardrail a second time. After getting a rental car, our client completed her trip to Texas before obtaining medical treatment. In addition to suffering injuries to her head, neck, back, and shoulders, our client suffered from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) from the collision. Our firm had to file suit to get the insurance company’s attention. The insurance company agreed to settle for $670,000 two months after filing a lawsuit.

Gray Broughton represented a 66-year-old man who was walking through his neighborhood on the sidewalk at night when it was dark. The sidewalk, maintained by his neighborhood’s homeowner’s association (HOA), had no streetlights or sidewalk lights. Over time, one slab of the sidewalk had become raised approximately two inches compared to the adjacent slab. Our client tripped on this uneven sidewalk, resulting in injuries to his left leg (quadriceps tendon tear) and right shoulder (rotator cuff tear). Our client underwent surgery for both injuries and made a full recovery after about ten months of treatment. The total medical expenses amounted to approximately $200,000. Due to the injuries and subsequent treatment, the plaintiff missed critical time away from his business, an online retail venture he ran with his wife. The case was settled for $650,000 prior to filing a lawsuit.

Gray Broughton, Zac Grubaugh and Sharif Gray represented a 59-year-old woman who was injured in a collision while a passenger in a pickup truck stopped at a red light. The defendant driver rearended our client’s pickup truck at a high rate of speed, pushing it into the vehicle stopped in front of it at the traffic light. The collision injured our client’s surgically repaired shoulder. As a result of the collision, our client required a total shoulder replacement surgery. Our firm had to file suit when the insurance company failed to make an offer. After filing suit, our firm discovered additional insurance coverage above the pre-suit settlement demand. and We issued a new demand, taking into consideration the additional coverage and stood firm on our position. We were then able to obtain a $500,000 settlement, double the previously disclosed insurance limits.

Gray Broughton and Zac Grubaugh represented a 38-year-old man who was involved in an automobile collision when the defendant driver ran a stop sign and T-boned the driver’s side of our client’s pickup truck. Our client did not receive treatment until several days later at an urgent care. Our client, a self- employed construction contractor, continued to work a physically demanding job following the collision. Over the course of the next several years, he received treatment for pain in his neck, back, and left shoulder. Our client ultimately underwent surgery for a partial tear of the posterior labrum and a left rib resection surgery to address his thoracic back pain. Our client required nearly five years of treatment, and experienced ongoing neck, back, and shoulder pain. While liability was admitted, causation was highly contested, particularly as to the surgical procedures. The total medical expenses amounted to approximately $135,000. The case settled for $500,000 at mediation.

Gray Broughton and Zac Grubaugh represented a husband and wife in their 70’s who were traveling in their vehicle together in Chesterfield County when they were hit head-on by a driver who crossed the double yellow line. The other driver’s insurance company denied liability since neither party admitted fault and fault was not immediately apparent from the collision scene. Our clients were transported to the emergency room for severe injuries. The wife was hospitalized for several days. The husband was treated and released but was later admitted to the hospital after his injuries worsened. After being discharged, both the husband and wife spent over a week at a rehabilitation facility, followed by several months of outpatient physical therapy. Our clients’ combined medical expenses exceeded $300,000. The claims of our clients settled for the policy limits of $250,000 each, for a combined policy limits settlement of $500,000.

Gray Broughton represented a lawyer who was T-boned, causing his SUV to rollover multiple times. The collision aggravated his previously injured shoulder and caused him to suffer headaches, dizziness and nausea. Gray Broughton’s client was diagnosed with a concussion, which caused him to have recurring headaches for over a year. After the insurance company only offered $50,000 to settle the case, Gray Broughton obtained a $500,000 verdict at the conclusion of a three-day jury trial.

Sharif Gray, Gray Broughton, and Zac Grubaugh represented the plaintiff, who sustained a torn rotator cuff in a minor sideswipe collision. The defense admitted liability hours before opening statements. The defense contested damages through an orthopedic expert who claimed the injury was pre-existing, pointing to rotator cuff surgery on the plaintiff’s other shoulder just over a year prior and a gap in treatment of approximately nine months. The carrier’s highest offer was $20,000. A one-day jury trial in Henrico Circuit Court resulted in a $373,922 verdict.

Gray Broughton represented a 74-year-old woman who fell down a set of three steps located along the sidewalk of an apartment complex. The stairs did not have a railing, which was required by the local building code. Gray Broughton’s client injured her previously injured back as a result of the fall. Gray Broughton was able to settle the case a month before trial for $300,000.