12989 Occidental Road
Sebastopol, California 95472
tel (707) 874-1860
fax (707) 874-1880

email:

Trial Attorney in California and Montana

More than twenty-five years experience in complex lawsuits. More than thirty jury trials and appeals in state and federal courts in California and Montana. Areas of emphasis include personal injury and property damage accidents, traumatic brain injury, medical devices, insurance coverage and bad faith, professional negligence (including medical and legal), products liability, and civil appeals.

Many of my clients have won settlements for more than $ 1 million. Brief summaries of some of those settlements are here.

My clients have also won important verdicts and judgments involving unsafe blood transfusions, HMO bad faith, unsafe products, professional negligence and dangerous road conditions.

Recent cases

In March 2003, the United States Supreme Court denied defendant’s petition to review the decision of the Montana Supreme Court that affirmed my client’s right to jury trial. In Kloss v Edward D. Jones, the Montana Supreme Court held that the arbitration provisions in Ms. Kloss’ agreement with her securities broker were unenforceable because the effects of those provisions on her rights were not properly explained to her. Ms. Kloss is a 93 year-old resident of Montana. A copy of the Montana Supreme Court’s opinion is posted here.

In April 2003, the California Supreme Court affirmed a nearly $3.9 million verdict for my client (a resident of Martinez). That decision followed nearly sixteen years of litigation in which I represented two neighbors who in 1986 and 1993 were catastrophically injured crossing a busy street in morning commute traffic to get to the same bus stop. We filed suits against the drivers involved in those accidents, public entities responsible for the location of the bus stop and unsafe conditions for pedestrians crossing during the morning commute and a hospital which provided negligent care. My clients won settlements and a judgment that should pay more than $10 million over their expected lifetimes. Summaries of the verdict and the opinion of the Supreme Court are posted here.

In April 2003, my client (an 83 year-old resident of Sacramento) settled her claim for insurance bad faith for $1.1 million in cash. Her claim for long term care in a residential care facility had been unreasonably denied for about nine months. During that time, she was required to move and suffered a heart attack. The settlement was reached about eight months after filing.