< Back to Previous Page Woman Wins $157 Million in Lawsuit against Tree Stand Manufacturers The manufacturers of "Ol' Man" tree stands, located in Jay and Pace, Florida were recently sued after a defect killed an Indiana man. Timothy Simonton was an avid hunter and camper. He was sitting in his tree stand, scouting for deer during one afternoon. The family began to get worried when he did not appear home at 5 p.m., so his wife sent her son to find him. The boy found his stepfather hanging from the tree. Apparently, the locking pins that hold the stand upright in the tree can fall out at any time. The company has now issued a recall on all of these stands and the replacement pins. The company is expected to go under after the financial blow, but the most surprising aspect of the trial was that no one showed up to represent the defendant. The jury awarded $157 million to the plaintiff by default. Carol Simonton and her lawyer had reached the requested amount by adding up the funeral expenses ($6,000), $1.5 million in lost lifetime wages and the emotional damages of the family. Because no one showed up to contest the amount, the entire sum was granted to Simonton. Her lawyer will now have to ensure that some company will come forward to pay the amount awarded in the lawsuit. If you or someone you love has been injured because of a manufacturing defect in a product, you need to know your rights as a consumer. The lawyers at Porter and Korvick are specialists in personal injury lawsuits, and they will help you get the money that you and your family deserve.