William P. Coates, Jr. is a trial lawyer whose practice has focused on civil litigation for 50 years. He has tried over 125 cases to verdict, including suits related to commercial motor carriers and alleged products liability. Bill's trial skills have also protected several Class I railroads from potential multi-million dollar liability stemming from FELA claims and grade crossing accidents.
When not practicing law, Bill enjoys a round or two of golf, almost as much as he appreciates spending family time with his wife Kitty, their two grown sons, and especially their twin grandchildren.
Examples of trials handled within the last several years include:
- Obtained a state court defense verdict in three-week long wrongful death case resulting from a railroad grade crossing accident.
- Obtained a state court defense verdict in grade crossing accident involving a train vs. loaded cattle truck in which engineer claimed his bilateral knee replacements and shoulder replacement were caused by this accident.
- Obtained a federal court defense verdict in case brought under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act by a railroad worker claiming injury due to an allegedly defective switching mechanism.
- Obtained a federal court defense verdict in a case brought under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act brought by a railroad employee who claimed he sustained injury when he was struck by a co-worker while attending a training session.
- Obtained a state court defense verdict in a case brought under the
Federal Employers’ Liability Act by a railroad employee who claimed his spinal injuries were caused as a result of allegedly tripping over debris blocking a company hallway.
- Obtained a state court defense verdict in a case brought under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act by a railroad employee who claimed that his neck injury which required spinal surgery was caused by a bump to his head as he was exiting a storage facility.
- Obtained a state court defense verdict in a case brought under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act by a railroad worker who claimed his back injury resulted from being required to use allegedly defective railroad equipment.
- Obtained summary judgment in a state court case brought under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act by a railroad worker who claimed that he was forced to attend a vendor-sponsored social function which brought back memories of a difficult event, thereby causing him to develop post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Obtained a defense verdict in a state court case in which plaintiff claimed he suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a car-bicycle accident.
- Obtained a defense verdict in a state court case in which plaintiff physician claimed her knee injury, requiring surgery, resulted from an intentional blow caused by defendant in a recreational soccer game.