Los Angeles General Negligence Attorneys

General Negligence refers to a person or company's carelessness that results in injuries or damages that cannot be categorized elsewhere. We have recovered significant sums for those harmed in the following situations.



Brain Injury — Third-Party Case
Our client, a 53-year-old veteran truck driver and father of two, was working for a heavy equipment hauling company doing work at a NASA facility near San Jose. NASA employees were helping him load a section of the space shuttle onto a flatbed truck when a 250-pound towbar unexpectedly swung around knocking him off the truck onto the ground 10 feet below. The accident left him brain-damaged and a quadriplegic requiring institutional care.

Result: Federal judge awarded $4,200,000.
The case went through two trials and an appeal to the Federal Court of Appeals. The U.S. Supreme Court denied the U.S. Government's petition for hearing.

Burns
Our client, a 23-year-old apprentice electrician, was working for an electrical contracting company doing work for a Coca-Cola syrup plant. One of the plant's employees disconnected a drain valve causing 180-degree water to pour directly onto our client who suffered burns over 20 percent of his body. After an agonizing burn unit recovery process, he continued to suffer from orthopedic injuries as well as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Result: Confidential Substantial Settlement

Hand Injury
At the Pasadena Rose Parade a horse ran out of control and jumped into the crowd. Our client, who relied on his hands to perform his job, suffered a serious hand injury. Although he was able to return to work, he was incapable of performing his former job duties.

Result: $960,000 Jury Verdict

Federal Government Tort Claim — Third-Party Case
Our client was attempting to attach a chain to a crane hook at a U.S. Coast Guard facility. His hand was smashed between the chain and the crane hook resulting in permanent injury to his hand.

Result: $500,000 Federal Court Verdict

Burns — Third-Party Case
Our clients, two adult males employed by a maintenance company, were working at a large oil refinery when a coker unit exploded resulting in scalding steam escaping and severely burning them.

Result: $6,500,000 Settlement

Economic Damage — Fraud
Our client purchased a Shell gas station franchise. When the business failed, our client found a buyer and opened escrow on the sale subject to Shell's consent to the franchise assignment. Shell did not timely consent and the buyer cancelled the escrow. Our client claimed that the Shell District Manager was seeking money from him to approve the assignment. Our client then sold to another buyer for a lower price, but Shell would not agree to the sale unless he signed an agreement releasing the company from any liability.

We demonstrated that Shell had withheld consent of an assignment of a franchise without cause and had obtained our client's signature on the release through fraud, economic duress and undue influence. The release was set aside.

Our client's original demand was $100,000; he was offered $20,000.

Result: Jury verdict resulting in a $900,000 settlement.

Legal Malpractice
Our client, a male in his 30s, had a motorcycle spill on a gravel roadway. The injury resulted in a severe infection to his leg. His attorney wrongly sued the County of Los Angeles and his case was thrown out. We sued his attorney for naming the wrong defendant.

Result: $475,000 Settlement