On March 23, 2007, Francisco Garcia was working at the Archer Daniels Midland plant – Decatur, Illinois and was killed on the job dying a horrible death when the pressure seals on a mechanical re-compression evaporator failed and sprayed him with scalding liquid materials.
Francisco received third degree burns over 90% of his body and died an excruciating death….from his wounds…. late the next day.
Francisco’s injuries were so horribly painful, that his skin was peeling off his face and body.
He was unable to retain his body fluids and so tremendous amounts of fluids had to be pumped into him. This caused a grotesque disfigurement.
Surgery was performed on him but when they opened his belly…. his intestines were black and necrotic so he was closed up and several hours later he died.
ADM readily ADMITTED to liability… but only offered to pay his family $500,000!
BUT That was CLEARLY a Pittance for a man,…. like Francisco, who was in the prime of his life….And the Main Bread Winner supporting his parents and 5 brothers and sisters in Mexico..
Since ADM had already admitted liability, the ONLY Legal issue to be decided in the courts now…. was compensatory damage… Or In other words…..
What was the True Value of Francisco’s Life to his family, not as ADM lowballed it, but the real true value as seen through the eyes of a jury?
ADM’s lawyers tried unsuccessfully to diminish the value of Francisco’s life by unsuccessfully trying to introduce the fact that Francisco was an “illegal immigrant”…
And yet they knew that the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment provides for… Equal Protection under the Law for all people (it says “People”, not just “Citizens”) within the jurisdiction of the United States.
The ADM Lawyer…
• Even suggested that a verdict of only a few hundred thousand dollars would be plenty for “this” family …..as he pointed to Mr. and Mrs. Garcia, in the courtroom
The implication was clearly “this poor Mexican” family.
And ADM’s lawyer even tried to tried to avoid all damages by arguing that Francisco’s parents and siblings were not his next of kin.
In this Insider Exclusive Special, ” Holding Corporate America Accountable – The Archer Daniels Midland Story”
…… We bring you the Inside Story, direct from the courtroom on How the Garcia’s family lawyer, Don Shapiro , Founder & Partner @ the law firm of Don Shapiro Ltd , got Justice for Francisco’s family with a Record Breaking Verdict in excess of $6.7 Million dollars…
By successfully turning ADM’s mean spirited argument completely around and arguing that in America, every family, including Francisco Garcia’s family should be treated the same way as any other family…..And the same way they would if the victim had been the son of an ADM executive.
You see in America… The 14th Amendment really provides for Equal Protection Under the Law for all people (it says “People”, not just “Citizens”) within the jurisdiction of the United States.
So, yes…. Illegal immigrants in the U.S. …..ARE entitled to the same rights and protections as citizens.
And they have the right to recover under the law and sue individuals in the Courts of the United States – especially for injury related claims.
Don Shapiro has earned the highest respect from citizens and lawyers alike…. as one of the best people’s trial lawyers in Illinois …..And in the nation.
He has seen many innocent & hard-working people taken advantage of….. by major corporations…And because of that…..He is driven to fight for people who had been harmed by the willful or negligent actions of others..
He…Learned A long Time ago ….that “IF A MAN hasn’t discovered something that he will die for… He isn’t fit to live.”
His goals….. Not ONLY To get Justice for his clients…
But to make sure that Corporations Respect and Uphold our own Constitution and especially the 14th Amendment providing for Equal Protection Under the Law for all people within the jurisdiction of the United States.
BECAUSE “INJUSTICE ANYWHERE…..IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE” !!!
You can contact Donald Shapiro, Founder and Partner @ Donald A. Shapiro, Ltd athttp://www.dshapirolaw.com 312 263-3443