WHAT WE DO

The primary purpose of tort law is to forge a safer society. Only when the primary purpose fails, does the second purpose come into play—compensation for the injured victim.

Safety is not common sense. Safety involves sophisticated principles to identify hazards (unsafe physical conditions), risks (probability of an undesired result occurring), and danger (unacceptable combination of the hazard and risk.). Cline, King & King, P.C. uses tools of system safety engineering in advocating every case.

System safety engineering is a proactive approach to engineering and manufacturing. It requires manufacturers to identify and anticipate hazards and risks, and to address these hazards and risks in product design before a product reaches the customer/consumer.

System safety management is an integral part of product design from concept to monitoring the product in the field during the lifetime of the product.

System safety engineering principles can be applied to almost any legal case involving property damage, injury, and/or death.

Every year, thousands of consumers are injured or killed by defective products. Imagine for a moment what 99.9% quality in the United States would mean:

• 1 hour of unsafe drinking water per day
• 12 babies given to the wrong parents each day
• 2 unsafe landings at O’Hare Airport per day
• 291 incorrect pacemaker operations per year
• 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions per year
• 107 incorrect medical procedures performed daily
• 268,500 defective tires shipped per year
• 500 incorrect surgical operations performed each week
• 19,000 newborn babies dropped at birth by doctors each year

If the above were 99.99%, we would still have a long way to go for a safer society.

Unlike most law firms, at Cline, King & King, P.C., we take a unique approach in evaluating liability cases. We analyze the hazards resulting in the serious injury or death; then, apply safety engineering alternatives to either eliminate or minimize the hazards.

Located in Columbus, Indiana, Cline, King & King, P.C. applies system safety analysis to liability cases, including but not limited to, cases involving:

• Design defects
• Manufacturing defects (domestic and foreign)
• Inadequate instructions or warnings
• Tools
• Equipment
• Heavy machinery
• Construction equipment
• Consumer products
• Children’s products
• Motorcycles
• Tires and tubes
• Motor vehicles
• Motor vehicle rollovers

Our clients count on us when they, or their loved ones, have suffered severe injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBI), burns, amputations, fractures, dislocations, neck injuries, back injuries, spinal cord injuries, paraplegia, quadriplegia, paralysis, or wrongful death as the result of a defective product.

In addition to product liability cases, Cline, King & King, P.C. undertakes civil litigation in other matters. The firm conducts trial work in the following areas:

• Serious Personal Injury: accidents involving motor vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, premises liability (falls), construction, electrocution
• Railroad
• Insurance Bad Faith
• Wrongful Death
• Auto Crash, Serious Injury
• Worker’s Compensation
• Nursing Home

One of the more complex areas of law is when a worker, as a subcontractor, is injured on a job site. To be sure, the laws relating to general and subcontractors are complex and require an understanding of the relationships on job sites. More importantly, Cline, King & King, P.C. uses system safety engineering in the analysis of construction litigation. Such litigation can involve machinery on job sites, overhead power line contact by cranes, etc.

The impact of the loss of a loved one extends for generations. When a parent, spouse, child, and/or sibling are lost by the wrongful conduct of another, the family is affected not only emotionally, but also financially for decades. Depending upon the state where the wrongful death occurs, compensation for lost income, lost love, care, and affection are items that must be considered in attempting to minimize the impact of the loss. Located in Columbus, Indiana, Cline, King & King, P.C. investigates the loss to determine the impact that will occur to the surviving family members for decades to come.

It only takes a fraction of a second to seriously injure a person. However, the injuries can last for a lifetime. Located in Columbus, Indiana, the attorneys at Cline, King & King, P.C. not only investigate the circumstances of an auto crash, but also the mechanism of injury to the person. It is one thing for an auto crash to occur, but the mechanism of the injury could be related to a design issue that is often overlooked.

Unfortunately, many people wait to write a will or make other preparations for their estate and heirs because they simply do not want to think about it. But, it is so important to put your wishes in a legal document so your family is aware of your intentions and your hard-won assets are protected.

Cline, King & King, P.C. can offer counseling, administration, and litigation assistance with wills, trusts, estate planning, and probate. We carefully analyze each client’s needs and objectives. Our services include:

• Wills
• Living Wills
• Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts
• Living Trusts
• Powers of Attorney
• Advice on Elder Law Issues
• Estate Administration
• Probate