INDIVIDUALS WE HAVE HELPED:

· Worldwide Water v. Liquid Air, No. CV-03-642-DSF.

Result: Judgment for Patent Ownership and Injunction

· Bennett v. Bennett, No. CIV 228770.

Result: Judgment for $610,000.00 house

· Ravins v. City of Morro Bay, No. CV01-4003.

Result: $2,200,000.00.

· Lazarus v. Krause, No. BC 283322.

Result: $984,382.00.

· Martin v. Track Mortgage, No. BC217022.

Result: $1,108,000.00.

· Elliott v. Tandy, PC 019397.

Result: $837,814.36.

· Collini v. Black, No. BC 238087.

Result: $1,063,835.00.

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Recent Cases - Personal Injury, Admiralty and Maritime Law Cases

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Worldwide Water v. Liquid Air, No. CV-03-642-DSF; Result: Judgment for Patent Ownership and Injunction.
"Worldwide Water, aka Air2Water, owns patents to technology that pulls clean water out of the air and purifies it for dispensing in homes and offices for less than 15 cents per gallon. Liquid Air started making these machines in China claiming they had been assigned the patents to the technology. A patent infringement lawsuit to stop their production of machines and a business interference lawsuit to recover monetary damages, were filed against Liquid Air. The business interference lawsuit was settled for a confidential amount in favor of Worldwide Water and the patent infringement lawsuit ended in a judgment that Worldwide Water owns the patents and Liquid Air will no longer produce these machines."(top)

Bennett v. Bennett, No. CIV 228770. Result: Judgment for $610,000.00 house.
An 83 year-old woman put her home in the name of her grandson after her husband had died, with the understanding that the house was still hers. The name change on the title was only to simplify probate for when she died. The grandmother had lived in the house for almost thirty years and the house had increased in value significantly during that time period. Three years after he was put on title, the grandson sold the grandmother's house, leaving the grandmother without a place to live. The grandson then used the money from the sale of the house to buy a new and bigger house for himself and his new wife. A lawsuit was filed against the grandson for Elder Abuse. Judgment was entered in the lawsuit awarding the new house to the grandmother. (top)

Ravins v. City of Morro Bay,No. CV01-4003. Result: $2,200,000.00.(top)
A 18 foot skiboat left Morro Bay harbor after being told by city harbor patrol that it was safe to go out of the harbor. Winds and waves picked up and the boat capsized, drowning two young children. Case was referred after the statute of limitation had expired. We converted the case to maritime jurisdiction, which extended the statute of limitations and avoided “Prop 51" and all state recreation and government immunities, and created a right to pre-death pain and suffering. We invited summary judgment to prove our point, which it did. Case then settled for $2,200,000.00.

Lazarus v. Krause, No. BC 283322. Result: $984,382.00. (top)
Low speed automobile collision, 14 miles per hour. Neck and low back surgery two years after the accident. Defense argued that new surgery was needed because of progressive degeneration following plaintiff’s previous back surgery five years prior to the collision. Offer $500,000.00. Demand $800,000.00.

Martin v. Track Mortgage, No. BC217022. Result: $1,108,000.00. (top)
$1,108,000.00 in compensatory damages with the punitive damages phase pending. Defendants arranged a construction loan for $175,000.00 secured by a deed of trust in third position on plaintiffs’ new home. Defendants foreclosed and then were foreclosed by the second deed of trust holder. Plaintiffs claimed improper foreclosure saying the loan was never fully funded. Defendants claim to have funded the loan in part with $85,000.00 in cash payments that was denied by plaintiffs. Defendants also argued no net equity in the home. Offer $5,000.00 and demand $225,000.00.

Elliott v. Tandy, PC 019397. Result: $837,814.36. (top)
An 82 year old man installs a replacement garage door opener which overrides the automatic reversing mechanism of the door. When he tests door by trying to stop it with his arms, he is thrown to ground and sustains a T12-L1 compression fracture with conservative care. No loss of earnings. Pre-trial offer was $12,000.00. Trial result was $762,814.36, plus $75,000 in attorneys fees under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act.

Collini v. Black, No. BC 238087. Result: $1,063,835.00. (top)
Legal malpractice case against lawyer who settled a probate accounting and financial Elder Abuse case against client for $280,000.00 without disclosing that the claim would not be dischargeable in bankruptcy. Jury found the accounting and Elder Abuse cases were fully defensible based on evidence collected years later. Offer $60,000.00 and demand $400,000.00. Total damages were $832,000.00 with 69% fault to defendants, plus attorneys fees of $489,755.00 under Consumer Legal remedies Act.

Fielding v. Music Center, No. BC 215253. Result: $580,000.00. (top)
A violist with Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra tripped on ½" uprising at top of stairs suffering a small chip fracture of his right shoulder. Pain develops in the shoulder after plaintiff plays viola for four hours, so is disqualified from the philharmonic and transferred to university music department. Summary judgment granted for defendant, reversed on appeal. Settled for $590,000.00

Skajem v. American Standard Concrete, No. BC 241735.
Result: $658,716.75. (top)
Owner of concrete company was holding hose pumping concrete when pump operator moved boom into contact with electrical lines, sending electricity through plaintiff. After initial electrical burns resolved, plaintiff continued to complain of long term fatigue, pain and occasional blackout spells. Plaintiff continued to receive full pay from company but argued that he needed to transfer to less physically demanding work. Defendant argued no signs of injury.

Peck v. Harrah’s Laughlin, No. BC 195859. Result: $1,225,000.00. (top)
A rigger on a twenty foot tower without a safety harness grabbed a cable at the top to re-position it in the pulley. As he touches the cable, he received an electrical shock and fell to the ground. Low back injury requiring surgical fusion. Plaintiff could no longer work as a rigger and instead became an airline pilot. Defendant claimed injuries were from lack of a harness and not from improper electrical gear. Settlement.

K.S. v. Hutchison, No. 107636, Result: $984,553.94. (top)
A dentist sexually abused a female patient while under nitrous oxide. Defendant company argued consent, exaggeration and dentist’s conduct was outside the scope of employment. Trial court ruled that company could only be responsible for negligence by the dentist and not for any intentional assault by the dentist. Negligence by closing door and not using assistant. Company employing dentist was found 100% liable. No MICRA limit. No workers’ compensation bar for patient who was also an employee. Offer $350,000.00 and demand $500,000.00. Trial and appeals. Read the opinion.

Perez v. Larry Hall Trucking, No. 24 73 44, Result: $6,337,504.00. (top)
Six persons in a small pickup, three in front and three in the back, returning from Las Vegas at 4:30 in the morning, drove into the rear of a tractor trailer that was slowly going down a long hill. One death, two paraplegia, one compression fractures and one hip dislocation. Defendant argued driver negligent and fatigued. Plaintiff argued that the truck was in the wrong lane. Offer was $75,000.00 and demand was $750,000.00. Gross verdict was $11,414,425.00.

Kuhlman v. Phoenix Custom Service, No. EC 003041.
Result: $4,078,870.00 (top)
Circumstantial evidence was used to show that an unknown plumber must have cut an angle brace that was holding up exterior scaffolding that plaintiff had built contrary to code, causing him to drop 30 feet and suffer ankle fractures that required surgery and L3-4 and L4-5 low back compression fractures that required only conservative care. Plumbers testified and denied any interference with scaffolding braces. Defense claimed that scaffolding collapsed because it was weak. Demand $800,000. Offer $300,000.