Case Results

Excessive Use of Force by Moreno Valley Police Department

A Riverside Superior Court jury found that Sheriff Deputies employed by the County of Riverside used excessive force against a Moreno Valley family resulting in their son’s death. After a two-week trial and several days of deliberations, a jury of 4 women and 8 men rendered a gross verdict in favor of the decedent’s two young children and family totaling $5.5M.

Head Injury & Insurance Bad Faith

Our young client was involved in a head-on collision. Two trucks were side by side and drag racing each other and were moving quickly in the direction of our client. One struck our client’s truck head-on.

Our client was seriously injured and airlifted from the collision scene and taken to the hospital. His medical bills totaled several hundred thousand dollars.

As things turned out, the two responsible drivers (the racing vehicles) were inadequately insured. Our client made a claim against his own insurance company under the terms of his underinsured motorist coverage (UIM). Our client’s own insurance company said our client caused the collision and refused to pay our client his $30,000.00 underinsured motorist coverage limits. After we were hired, we demanded arbitration with the insurance company and ultimately received an award in excess of $850,000.

We then filed a first party insurance bad faith lawsuit against our client’s own insurance company and during a mediation prior to trial, settled the bad faith case for an additional $2,500,000.00. The same insurance company which refused to pay our client $30,000.00 eventually paid a total of $3,347,000.00.

Of note is the fact that this settlement was obtained only after our client’s own insurance company originally denied paying the earlier referenced $30,000.00 claim.

Driver Runs Red Light

A negligent driver was not paying attention, ran a red light and caused a serious accident. Our client was seriously injured and after the responsible driver’s insurance company refused to make a settlement offer, we were able to obtain a judgment for $2,759,852.00.

Motorcycle Accident - Client Loses Leg

After 2 years of litigation, Jon Mitchell Jackson of Jackson & Wilson obtained a $2,000,000 judgment against a defendant driver who was operating his motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The defendant was operating his motor vehicle on the winding Big Bear highway (SR 38) near Big Bear, California. He approached our client from the opposite direction and without warning, swerved across the double yellow lines striking our client. As a result of the defendant’s wrongful conduct, our motorcycle riding client sustained major injuries which included left side injuries, minor head trauma, and a severed left leg just below the hip.

In addition to the $2,000,000 civil judgment, the defendant was prosecuted criminally and convicted of violating California Vehicle Code 23153(A) (driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs). As a result of his conviction, the defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to our client.

Settlement Reached in Broken Pelvic Bone Case

Our female client was a passenger in a vehicle operated by a young female teenage driver. The two friends were on their way home from high school to have lunch.

Motorcycle Accident involving Special Forces Retiree

Our client had recently retired from the military after 30 years of service in the special forces. While safely and lawfully operating a motorcycle, he was struck by a teenage driver making an illegal left-hand turn. We were able to mediate a settlement shortly before trial for $1,250,000.00. Prior to the mediation, no offer had been made by the defendant.

Jet Ski Wrongful Death Jury Verdict

Our clients lost their son in a tragic jet ski accident on the Colorado River. The driver of the other watercraft (the defendant) refused to accept responsibility for his negligent and reckless actions. The defendant’s insurance company originally only offered $1 to compensate our clients for their loss.

Legal Malpractice Judgment Against Negligent Lawyer

Our client was a victim of medical negligence and hired an attorney to protect her and to represent her interest. He failed to do his job and show up for court hearings. Eventually, her case was dismissed barring her from forever pursuing her claim against the negligent doctor.

The client came to us and we immediately learned that this was not the first time this attorney had caused problems for a client. The California State Bar had prior issues with this lawyer. We filed a legal malpractice case against the negligent attorney and obtained a judgment against him.

Two Local Teenagers are Killed in Head-on Collision

Our clients’ teenage children both suffered fatal injuries after being involved in a head-on collision. The insurance company for the other party originally denied responsibility for the accident. However, to get the matter settled, it offered what they claimed was their insurance policy limits of $100,000.00. We rejected the offer, filed a lawsuit and litigated the case.

During litigation, we discovered that the other side had additional insurance coverage of $1,000,000.00 which was never disclosed to us during the earlier settlement discussions. After multiple pre-trial settlement conferences, we were eventually able to settle the case for $1,000,000.00.

Gross Negligence Wrongful Death EMT / Ambulance Transport - Jury Verdict

After a two-week jury trial, an Orange County jury found Pacific Ambulance, Inc. and one of its EMTs both grossly negligent in the care and transport of our clients’ son, Brett Weiner. Also of note is the fact that our jury agreed that Brett did absolutely nothing wrong on the morning of his death and did not contribute to his untimely death. Read more about this tragic and difficult case here…

Van Struck by Semi-Tractor Trailer Truck - Wrongful Death of Police Officer and Wife - Leaving 3 Young Children Behind

We were retained to represent three young children who had lost both of their parents in an automobile accident on the Riverside 91 freeway. The van the family was traveling in was being driven by their father, a retired police officer. Their mother was in the front passenger seat and the children were all in the back seat. On a wet road, the van spun out of control and was subsequently hit by a large truck.

The trucking company and its insurance company originally denied responsibility for the loss. They said the cause of the two wrongful deaths was the unsafe driving of our clients’ father. They offered nothing to resolve the case.

After we became involved, filed a Superior Court lawsuit, investigated and litigated the case, we discovered an off-duty paramedic who witnessed the entire event. He had been following the defendant truck driver for a long period of time before the accident. The truck driver was operating his truck at an unsafe speed and in an unsafe fashion on a rain-soaked highway. With his help, and the testimony of the investigating California Highway Patrol Officers were eventually able to settle the case for $1,000,000.00 shortly before trial. The settlement was approved by an Orange County Superior Court Judge.

The settlement funds were placed into annuities providing the children with a substantial monthly income for the next 20-30 years. Food, shelter, clothing and a good education are now available to our three young clients.

Of note is the fact that this million-dollar resolution was obtained after the other side originally denied the claim and refused to pay a penny. It took about a year of hard work and litigation but it was worth the effort.

High School Track Star Drowns in Lake Mission Viejo

Our clients were the parents of an 18-year-old high school senior who drowned in Lake Mission Viejo while swimming with friends. This outstanding athlete had just received a scholarship to run track in college.

We retained the top lifeguard expert in the United States and with his guidance and help, were able to settle the case before trial for $900,000.00. The defense attorneys originally took the position in open court and on the record, that they did not feel their client was legally responsible for the death and as such, would not pay a penny to settle the case.

Neighbor's Dog Bites Child on Face & Then Attacks Mother

Our client’s 15-month-old son was attacked and bitten by a dog owned by their neighbor and who also happened to be a lawyer. At the time of the attack, the mother reached down to pull the dog off of her son. The dog turned, grabbed the mother by the throat and pulled her to the ground.

The owners of the dog were not cooperative and the family was forced to litigate the case. After almost a year of effort, we were finally able to resolve both claims for $500,000.00. We’re glad to say that today, both child and mother are doing fine.

Underinsured Motorist Wrongful Death Settlement

While driving home late at night and after work, our clients’ adult son lost control of the BMW he was operating. For an unknown reason, the BMW ended up stopped and sideways in the HOV lane of the 91 freeway. Within the next minute or two, a second vehicle traveling in the same direction and at about 65 mph broadsided the BMW killing our clients’ son instantly.

Distracted Driving Case Settles for $500,000 Policy Limits

The accident was caused by a reckless driver who was not paying attention to the road in front of them. Our client was walking through a parking lot driveway at her townhouse complex to get the mail when she was suddenly struck by the unobservant driver. The driver of the vehicle testified that she never saw our client before the collision. However, our client testified that the driver of the vehicle was looking down and did not looked up before the accident occurred. Due to the severe injuries our client sustained, she incurred six figures in medical bills. The injuries she has been forced to endure because of the accident include a fractured right tibial plateau, an L1 back compression fracture, a left knee ligament tear, a fractured left foot, a left foot abrasion- eschar with an open wound, and right medial heel eschar. The distracted driver is not accepting responsibility for her negligent actions and a trail has been set for 2018. Our legal team is confident an Orange County jury will hold the negligent driver accountable and award a seven figure verdict that will help our client cover all of her medical bills, as well as compensate her for the pain and suffering she has experienced.

Full Story Here

Exploding Gas Tank Causes Death of Client's Mother

Our clients’ mother was hit from behind while stopped on the freeway. Her car exploded and she died in the fire.

Dog Bites Part of Client's Finger Off

While walking his dog in a local Laguna Niguel park, our client and dog were attacked by a pit bull being. Part of our client’s finger was bitten off and he sustained other serious injuries. Our client’s dog was also injured and required two surgeries.

The owners of the pit bull refused to cooperate and we were forced to file a civil action against them resulting in a judgment of more than $330,000.00. Within weeks of the judgment being entered, the defendants delivered a personal check to our office to satisfy the judgment and interest.

Driver Reaching for Cell Phone Runs Red Light & Seriously Harms our Client

Our client was injured when her car was struck by a small truck which ran a red light when its driver was not paying attention and was reaching for his cell phone. The entire accident was captured on a video surveillance tape which happened to be running in a store across the street. We used the video to help prove liability.

Despite all this evidence, the insurance company for the other side did not make any settlement offers and instead forced us to file a lawsuit and litigate the case. We eventually were ordered by the court to participate in non-binding arbitration. The arbitrator found in our client’s favor and awarded her $325,000.00.

The insurance company failed to file paperwork after the arbitration and the award became a binding judgment. Rather than pay the judgment, the insurance carrier appealed the judgment to the Second District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles. We won the appeal and the other side paid the judgment in full.

Motorcycle Accident in Bishop, CA (Policy Limits Settlement)

Our client was riding his Kawasaki Ninja 650 eastbound on North Sierra Highway at approximately 45 miles per hour just outside of Bishop, California. The other driver was Dodge 3500 truck and stopped southbound on Brockman Lane at a stop sign.