SUCCESSES
Representative Cases
We have led and participated in major litigation on issues of nationwide impact, in the areas of catastrophic personal injury, product defect, consumer and insurance fraud, and securities and business fraud.
NATIONWIDE
CLASS ACTION
Case Type:
Class action - Washington State
Vehicle diminished value
Insurance company
$48.5 million settlement
Moeller v. Farmers Insurance Vehicle Diminished Value
Prepared for trial, as the lead trial counsel, a major class action case against Farmers Insurance (Moeller v. Farmers, No. 99-2-07850-6 (Pierce Cty WA)) for the failure to pay "diminished value" in settling first party automobile insurance claims. The case was certified, appeals to the Washington Court of Appeals and Supreme Court were successfully defended, and the case was then fully prepared for trial, and finally resolved for $48.5 Million two weeks before the scheduled August 2013 trial date. The settlement received final approval on December 4, 2013, and payments to eligible Class Members were out in April 2014.
Case Type:
National class action
Drug/medical devices liability
$850 million settlement
Bextra/Celebrex Cox-2 Inhibitor Litigation
Served as the national lead and liaison counsel in Federal Court overseeing the Bextra/Celebrex Cox-2 Inhibitor litigation (MDL 1699). The litigation was resolved after three years of litigation for over $850 million three days before the first scheduled trial.
Case Type:
National class action
Tobacco litigation
Plaintiff verdict
Walker and Duke v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Litigation
Served as trial counsel in two "Engle" tobacco trials in Federal Court in Florida, resulting in plaintiff victories in both cases. Both verdicts were upheld by the United States 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Walker v. RJR and Duke v. RJR, Nos. 12-13500, 12-14731 (11th Cir. 10/31/13). With the rejection of RJR’s petition for review by the United States Supreme Court, the verdicts became final and were paid by RJR.
Mraz v. DaimlerChrysler
PARK-TO-REVERSE VEHICLE DEFECT
Co-lead counsel in case involving the death of a Los Angeles dockworker killed by a park-to-reverse defect in a Dodge Dakota. Obtained a verdict of $5.2 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages in Los Angeles Superior Court. The case was finally resolved for $24 million after further proceedings in the bankruptcy court and on appeal.
CATASTROPHIC PERSONAL INJURY
Guillot v. DaimlerChrysler
PARK-TO-REVERSE VEHICLE DEFECT
Lead counsel in a case for the death of an infant due to a park-to-reverse defect. $7.2 million verdict in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. The verdict was upheld on appeal, and after further proceedings in the bankruptcy court, was then resolved for $7.2 million while a writ was pending in the Louisiana Supreme Court.
OTHER HIGH VALUE PERSONAL INJURY CASES
Case Type:
Catatrophic personal injury
Fuel fed fire
SUV rollover deaths
Transmission system defects
Defective carseats
Confidential Settlements
Prepared for trial, and then resolved numerous high value personal injury cases. These recoveries included the following confidential settlements:
-
$5.9 million Improper design of fuel tank led to fuel extreme burns of driver
-
$3.2 million Improper design of SUV lead to roll-over deaths
-
$2.5 million Defective transmission system caused severe injuries
-
$2.25 million Defective transmission system caused severe injuries
-
$1.75 million Defective transmission system caused severe injuries
-
Obtained an additional 15 individual settlements over $1 million in serious injury and death cases