$4.9 BILLION Anderson v. General Motors

• Defective Products

Largest Individual Products Liability Verdict in History Christine Spagnoli was integral member of trial team which achieved verdict for clients arising from exploding defective gas tank resulting in severe burn injuries.

$3.3 BILLION Los Angeles County v. Tobacco Company

• Personal Injury

Tobacco industry case.

$78 MILLION Castillo v. Quality Shoring and Scaffold, Inc.

• Construction Accidents

Lead case - Twelve plaintiffs filed suit for an October 2001 roof collapse construction accident.

$73 MILLION Multi-Million Dollar Verdict Against Ford Motor Company

• Auto Defects

A Sacramento jury found Ford Motor Company responsible to the victims of a rollover crash involving a Ford E350 15 passenger van that experienced a tread separation.

$58 MILLION Griggs v West-PAC Industries and Tool Exchange

• Defective Products

Christine Spagnoli was one of lead trial counsel that obtained verdict for client arising from defective equipment design resulting in severe burn injury.

$55 MILLION Andrews v. Marriott

• Business Litigation

Verdict for FOX Sports reporter and TV personality Erin Andrews in her case against the Nashville Marriott hotel for its misconduct.

$45.6 MILLION Charterhouse vs. Law Firm

• Legal Malpractice

Legal malpractice, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty case involving concealment of conflict of interest in real estate transaction.

$45 Million Confidential Settlement

GBW's Robert Jarchi & Ivan Puchalt reached a confidential settlement.

$36.1 MILLION Sanchez v. County of San Bernardino

• Pedestrian Accidents

A young girl hit by a car while running across the street for her school bus.

$33 MILLION Dr. Angelo Gousse vs. Budget Rent-A-Car and City of Los Angeles/LAPD

• Civil Rights

Switched license plates led to traffic stop and subsequent police misconduct that caused permanent injuries to Miami surgeon.

$32.5 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Defendant

• Car Accidents

Passenger in vehicle which was struck by another vehicle causing catastrophic intestinal injuries.

$32.5 MILLION Gorne vs. Bus Company

• Car Accidents

Auto accident case.

$32.5 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Corporation

• Car Accidents

Passenger in vehicle which was struck by another vehicle causing catastrophic intestinal injuries.

$26.6 Million Jury Verdict Held Employer Accountable

• Whistleblower Retaliation

GBW's Mark Quigley and Alexandro Garza held the plaintiff's employer accountable for engaging in whistleblower retaliation and breach of contract with the plaintiff. The jury also made a finding of malice, oppression, and fraud.

$25.9 MILLION Jury Verdict in Deadly Church Van Rollover Trial

• Auto Defects

Surviving husband and their four children sued Ford for defectively designing its vehicle with an extra row of seats without dual rear tires, making the van unstable and susceptible to loss of control.

$25 MILLION McGee vs. the City of Alameda

• Construction Accidents

Construction worker hit an underground energized electrical line while using a drill at a construction site, causing him severe electrical injuries that resulted in third degree burns.

$22 MILLION Pogosyan vs. Southern California Rapid Transit District

• Car Accidents

Personal Injuries caused by police pursuit.

$22 MILLION Car Crash Injury

• Car Accidents

$21 MILLION Kimball v. Southern California Edison

• Burn Injuries

Powerline placement caused severe burns, shock and amputation.

$20.7 MILLION Doe vs. Doe

• Sexual Abuse

Sexual assault of college student.

$17.9 MILLION Defective Tire Design

• Tire Failures

Defective tire design resulting in paraplegia.

$17.8 MILLION Negligent Power Lines

• Burn Injuries

Negligence involving Power Lines resulting in amputation and burn injury.

$16.1 MILLION Garcia v Quality Shoring

• Construction Accidents

Construction Accident/Defective Scaffold resulting in brain damage and orthopedic injuries.

$16 MILLION Wrongful Death

• Tire Failures

Defective Tire Design Resulting in Wrongful Death.

$14.6 MILLION Wrongful Death

• Wrongful Death

$14.4 MILLION Pascua/White v Industrial Asphalt

• Truck Accidents

Negligence arising from improper truck maintenance resulting in multiple wrongful deaths.

$13.8 MILLION Garcia v. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

• Brain Injuries

Joseph Garcia was a 56-year-old unemployed passenger on an LACMTA bus, when that bus struck a parked car transportation carrier.

$12.2 MILLION Workplace Slip and Fall

• Brain Injuries

$12 MILLION Chae v Kim

• Business Litigation

Lottery winner recovers full value of stolen ticket.

$12 MILLION Brain Injury

• Wrongful Death

Negligence resulting in brain injury.

$12 MILLION Skylight Fall Injury

• Workplace Injuries

$12 MILLION DUI Injury Accident

$12 MILLION Wrongful Death

• Wrongful Death

$11.5 MILLION Distracted Driving Wrongful Death

• Wrongful Death

$11.3 MILLION Humanicom v National Capital

• Business Litigation

Fraudulent Stock purchase and loan resulting in loss of stock.

$10.4 MILLION Holman v Ocwen Financial Corporation

• Business Litigation

Breach of Contract and fraud.

$10 MILLION Dylan Holler v. Uesugi Farms

• Truck Accidents

A 16-year-old high school student was driving to school when a tractor trailer crossed over into the oncoming lane, hitting the student's Jeep resulting in life altering injuries.

$10 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Corporation

• Child Injuries

Plaintiff was severely brain injured in an automobile accident when the auto driven by her mother was broadsided by an oncoming vehicle.

$10 MILLION Severe Child Brain Injury

• Defective Child Car Seat

Defective child booster seat design resulting in severe brain injury.

$10 MILLION Whistleblower-Retaliation

• Whistleblower Retaliation

$9.9 MILLION Brain Injury

• Premises Liability

Dangerous condition of public property resulting in brain injury.

$9.6 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Law Firm

• Legal Malpractice

Legal malpractice against attorneys who negligently prepared and tried a special education /brain injury action against a government entity.

$9.5 MILLION School District Wrongful Death

• Wrongful Death

$9 MILLION Weidenaar v State of California

• Spinal Cord Injuries

Highway Design case involving failure to adequately guard center median "drop-off" area, resulting in spinal cord injuries to 33-year-old man.

$8.8 MILLION Brezovec v State of California

• Car Accidents

Motor vehicle accident resulting in severe brain injury.

$8.6 MILLION Rodriguez vs. Doe Trucking

• Premises Liability

Arriving at the Quest Property, Plaintiff found four very large, downed eucalyptus trees. While preparing for the 5:00 a.m. news report, a fifth eucalyptus tree fell on her, causing severe injuries.

$8.6 MILLION Wrongful Death

• Wrongful Death

$8.15 MILLION Quezda v Motor Coach Industries

• School Bus Accidents

Negligent operation of school bus resulting in wrongful death.

$8 MILLION Farraj v. Gurinder Ruby and Circle K Stores, Inc.

• Business Litigation

Lottery winner recovers full value of stolen ticket and related damages.

$8 MILLION Doe City v Doe Law Firm

• Legal Malpractice

Legal malpractice action involving the failure to adequately prepare transactional documents on behalf of Government Entity.

$8 MILLION Workplace Sexual Misconduct

$8 MILLION Pedestrian Personal Injury

• Pedestrian Accidents

$7.8 MILLION Bartoli v. Hanson

• Defective Products

Young worker's leg was amputated by defectively designed and manufactured floating rock grinding machine.

$7.8 MILLION Crush Injury

• Defective Products

Defective equipment design resulting in crush injury.

$7.675 MILLION Tartakoff v City of Los Angeles

• Premises Liability

Claim: Reckless Police Pursuit resulting in paraplegia.

$7.5 MILLION Los Angeles Metro Bus

• Bus Accidents

GBW’s former clients share their story of heartbreak and hope on The TODAY Show after their car collided with a Los Angeles Metro Bus.

$7 MILLION Cueto v Braun

• Truck Accidents

Tractor trailer vs. Automobile collision resulting in the amputation of the left arm and traumatic brain injury to 47-year-old man.

$6.75 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Insurance Co.

• Insurance Bad Faith

Insurance bad faith denial of defense and indemnification in property damage claim.

$6.7 MILLION Lattanzi v City of Los Angeles

• Premises Liability

Premises liability case involving a bicycle rider who fell over an unguarded curb and retaining wall when he stopped to rest. Mr. Lattanzi sustained injuries resulting in paraplegia.

$6.4 MILLION Negligence Involving Overhead Power Lines

• Burn Injuries

Negligence involving overhead power lines and resulting in burn injury.

$6.4 MILLION Ogden v Hamm Brothers Construction

• Construction Accidents

Construction negligence resulting in brain injury.

$6 MILLION Hawkins v. City of Anaheim

• Burn Injuries

A 31-year-old painter used a 12-foot aluminum pole to paint a side of a building. The pole contacted a 12,000-volt overhead power line, causing massive injuries and severe third degree thermal burns.

$6 MILLION Brain Injury

• Defective Products

Defective seat back design resulting in brain injury.

$6 MILLION Defective Scaffold

• Construction Accidents

Construction accident/defective scaffold resulting in severe orthopedic injuries.

$6 MILLION Legal Malpractice

• Legal Malpractice

Legal malpractice involving intellectual property.

$5.6 MILLION Cellamare v Laidlaw

• Pedestrian Accidents

Bus v. pedestrian accident resulting in severe orthopedic injuries.

$5.5 MILLION Garay v. Flynn

• Premises Liability

Motorcycle lost traction when it encountered roadway which was flooded due to improper pumping of hotel pool water onto the street.

$5.5 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Manufacturer

• Defective Products

Man received brain injury when morphine pump malfunctioned and caused entire contents of pump to dispense into plaintiff's body.

$5.5 MILLION School Bus Wrongful Death

• Wrongful Death

$5.4 MILLION Brain Injury

• Premises Liability

Reckless police pursuit resulting in brain injury.

$5.3 MILLION Gutierrez v Isuzu

• Auto Defects

Defective auto design resulting in leg amputation and brain injury.

$5.2 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe University Fraternity House Settlement

• Burn Injuries

A university student was severely burned when fellow fraternity members threw a firecracker into the fraternity house room where he was sleeping.

$5.14 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe City

• Car Accidents

Mother was hit by an on-duty police officer and ejected from her vehicle. She received severe brain injury from the incident.

$5.1 MILLION Dangerous Condition of Public Property

• Premises Liability

Dangerous condition of public property/negligence resulting in brain injury.

$5 MILLION Wrongful Death

• Truck Accidents

Passenger in truck was killed when driver lost control and rolled down embankment into traffic lanes.

$5 MILLION Choi v. State of California

• Bus Accidents

A young homemaker and mother suffered serious head trauma while a passenger in a car that was struck by a Caltrans vehicle.

$5 MILLION Mickail Myles vs. the County of San Diego and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department

• Civil Rights

A jury reached a unanimous $ 5 million verdict against San Diego County and its Sheriff's Department in a federal civil rights trial involving allegations of excessive force and negligent supervision within the organization.

$4.9 MILLION Avalos v. Calexico Hospital

• Child Injuries

Brain damage birth injury as a result of anoxia caused by vaginal delivery of breech birth.

$4.9 MILLION Ricks v. Pharaoh’s Lost Kingdom Amusement Park

• Personal Injury

Personal injury on a Ferris wheel amusement park ride.

$4.5 MILLION Doe v. Doe Restaurant

• Burn Injuries

Man fell into open fire pit on bar patio sustaining severe burn injuries.

$4.5 MILLION Grill v. City of Los Angeles

• Car Accidents

Collision at Los Angeles Airport involving a police vehicle and an airline tug.

$4.5 MILLION Teraberanyans v. Browning-Ferris Industries

• Wrongful Death

Browning-Ferris Industries recycling truck jumped over the median and collided head on, killing a 34-year-old husband and father.

$4.1 MILLION Valdivia v. St. Jude's Academy

• Child Injuries

San Diego school held responsible for defective playground swing that led to a 12-year-old child's head injury.

$3.7 MILLION Scholz v. State of California

• Motorcycle Accidents

Road design case against the State of California for the death of a young boy and the loss of a leg to his father.

$3.67 MILLION Damron v. Laidlaw

• Brain Injuries

Plaintiff severely injured after a school bus, operated by a private contractor, failed to yield to oncoming traffic. Injury to brain, facial paralysis, fractured hip and multiple other personal injuries were sustained.

$3.65 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Corporation

• Workplace Injuries

Worker at loading dock was pinned and his pelvis crushed when a truck pulling away from the area trapped him against commercial refuse containers.

$3.5 MILLION Hodges v. State of California

• Drunk Driving Accidents

A father and his two sons sustained severe spinal and multiple injuries as a result of a multi-vehicle automobile accident caused by a drunken off-duty CHP officer returning from a CHP party.

$3.5 Million H.C. v. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District

• Burn Injuries

$3.4 MILLION Kinder v. San Diego Trolley

• Mass Transit Accident

The San Diego trolley system is designed so as to force patrons to jump through the trolley cars in order to catch the trolley on the opposite side of the tracks.

$3.3 MILLION Murillo v. U.S.A.

• Wrongful Death

Award to two families whose children were struck and killed by vehicle improperly chased by Border Patrol. Largest verdict against Border Patrol.

$3.2 MILLION Staley v. Metropolitan Transit Authority

• Pedestrian Accidents

21-year-old pedestrian suffered traumatic brain injuries after being struck by MTA bus.

$3 MILLION Doe v Doe Law Firm

• Legal Malpractice

Transactional legal malpractice relating to the sale of plaintiff's business.

$3 MILLION Doe Family v. Doe Corporation

• Products Liability

A products liability action involving tire tread separation that caused a passenger van to roll over.

$3 MILLION Macchia v. Synergy Cargo Logistics

• Truck Accidents

The defendant trucking company's negligence resulted in a 3,000 lb. converter gear detaching on the 605 freeway. The plaintiffs' vehicle struck the object.

$3 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Insurance Co.

• Disability

Denial of disability benefits by insurer.

$3 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Company

• Industrial Machinery Equipment

Industrial accident involving a brake failure on a loader causing orthopedic injuries to the victim.

$3 MILLION Hernandez v. County of Los Angeles

• Wrongful Death

Wrongful death case of Randy Hernandez brought by his 2-year-old daughter. Randy Hernandez's vehicle was disabled on the 110 freeway when he was struck and killed by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy.

$3 MILLION Doe Individuals v. Doe Law Firm

• Legal Malpractice

Legal malpractice action involving violation of statute of limitations on an underlying wrongful termination action.

$2.9 MILLION Laurutis v. RPS, Inc.

• Construction Accidents

50-year-old male sustained multiple fractures when thrown from a crane. Subcontractor was found negligent; he failed to warn plaintiff of increased load.

$2.9 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Insurance Co.

• Disability

Plaintiff doctor denied disability benefits by insurer.

$2.75 MILLION Doe Individual v. John Doe Corporation

• Defective Products

Woman received severe burns after the arc of an electric blanket ignited a fire in the house.

$2.7 MILLION McKinzie v. Timely Transportation

• Car Accidents

Decedent Bruce McKinzie pulled over on the shoulder of the road attempting to tie down a loose tarp on his flatbed trailer when he was struck by defendant Mitchell Lee Kirkwood who was employed by defendant Timely Transportation, Inc.

$2.6 MILLION Mehdipour v. City of Santa Monica

• Bus Accidents

80-year-old man who was trying to catch a bus had his left arm run over resulting in amputation.

$2.6 MILLION Mendoza v. Ray's Auto Repair

• Wrongful Death

Wrongful death of 72-year-old husband, and father of 12 children, due to negligent repair of transmission of 1976 Ford pickup which jumped gears from park to reverse.

$2.5 MILLION Linares v. General Motors

• Burn Injuries

GM found negligent of failure to warn after plaintiff, a furniture mover, suffered severe burns when his supervisor attempted to re-start the vehicle by priming the carburetor with gasoline.

$2.5 MILLION Whetstone v. Schlumberger

• Wrongful Death

Wrongful death of college student who crashed on highway after hitting a metal object that fell off the defendant's trailer.

$2.5 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Corporation

• Wrongful Death

Defendant's employee fell asleep while driving, crossed the center line on US 395, and collided head on with decedent.

$2.5 MILLION Colmanares v. Doe Corporation

• Auto Defects

Two minor children burned to death in a pick up truck which burst into flames as the result of a defectively designed filler neck and gas cap.

$2.45 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Individual

• Pedestrian Accidents

Route driver struck individual in unmarked crosswalk. Plaintiff suffered orthopedic injuries.

$2.45 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Individual

• Car Accidents

Minor automobile collision resulting in heart attack and the death of the celebrity.

$2.4 MILLION Doe Family v. Doe Corporation

• Products Liability

A woman was burned when the gas dryer placed on the ground in her garage caused the ignition of flammable vapors.

$2.4 MILLION Doe v Doe Crane

• Workplace Injuries

Worker helping lower cement sewer cone when it broke loose causing a fractured pelvis.

$2.3 MILLION Doe v Doe Bicycle

• Products Liability

Seat Clip broke while man was riding his bicycle causing head and neck injuries.

$2.3 MILLION Maxcy v. Home Depot

• Premises Liability

Man struck by electric pallet jack driven by Home Depot employee while unloading truck at store.

$2.25 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Corporation

• Car Accidents

An immigrant security guard was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by an underage female as he was guarding a construction site.

$2.2 MILLION Coronel vs. Quest Homeowner's Association

• Premises Liability

Arriving at the Quest Property, Plaintiff found four very large, downed eucalyptus trees. While preparing for the 5:00 a.m. news report, a fifth eucalyptus tree fell on her, causing severe injuries.

$2.2 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Law Firm

• Legal Malpractice

Legal malpractice action against attorneys who negligently advised doctor as to his liability and exposure in fraud lawsuit against him and others by shareholders of a corporation.

$2.2 MILLION Accounting Malpractice

• Business Litigation

$2.1 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Cable Company

• Burn Injuries

$2.1 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Celebrity

• Pedestrian Accidents

Celebrity driver struck woman in crosswalk causing orthopedic and closed head injuries.

$2 MILLION Steichen v. City of Santa Monica

• Pedestrian Accidents

Wrongful death of a 64-year-old woman who was struck at an intersection by a City of Santa Monica police vehicle that was allegedly responding to an "officer needs assistance" call.

$2 MILLION Luu v. Doe Corporation

• Defective Products

Action against automaker for defective filler neck system and inadequate welds of unibody frame resulting in severe burn injuries to occupant.

$1.9 MILLION Torchia v La County Metropolitan Transportation

• Mass Transit Accident

MTA Bus sideswiped motorcycle causing clutch handle to break off resulting in collision which caused orthopedic injuries to 50-year-old male.

$1.9 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Film Company

• Burn Injuries

Actress sustained third degree burn injuries to her face and body while performing fire-breathing stunt during movie audition.

$1.8 Million Severe Auto Accident Injury

• Car Accidents

GBW's Ivan Puchalt obtained a $1.18 million settlement against the defendant drive in a high-speed auto accident that caused substantial orthopedic injuries to an 18-year-old passenger in the back seat.

$1.75 MILLION Doe Individual v. Doe Corporation

• Workplace Injuries

A 36-year-old refinery worker burned when pressurized liquid escaped from a negligently designed coker at an oil refinery in Torrance.

$1.75 MILLION Younger v. Foster Wheeler

• Burn Injuries

A 36-year-old refinery worker was severely burned when pressurized liquid escaped from a negligently designed coker at an oil refinery in Torrance.

1.7 Million Dangerous Condition of Public Property

• Pedestrian Accidents

GBW attorneys Geoff Wells, Tobin Lanzetta, and Aaron Osten, secured a $1.7 million settlement on behalf of an accomplished UCSD Professor who was struck by a vehicle while using a marked crosswalk near the UCSD campus.

$1.5 MILLION Perez v. MTA

• Mass Transit Accident

A 35-year-old woman was struck by a bus.

$1.5 MILLION Mazariego v. Standard Brands

• Personal Injury

$1.15 MILLION Joann Mackenzie v. A-List Limousine Services, LLC

• Car Accidents

48-year-old woman suffered injuries to two discs in her spine after a limo driver recklessly tried to cross seven lanes of traffic, triggering a crash.

$3.5 MILLION Pedestrian v. Bonita Unified School District

• Pedestrian Accidents

61-year-old woman who suffered debilitating injuries after being struck by a school bus in a marked crosswalk.

$100,000 Pedestrian Hit in Crosswalk

• Pedestrian Accidents

$100,000 policy limits settlement for a pedestrian hit in a crosswalk.

CONFIDENTIAL Keeshen v Fox Television

• Business Litigation

Animator and Director was not properly compensated for role in creation of pitch presentation pilot for television show "Family Guy".

CONFIDENTIAL Gabor v. Beverly Hills Police Department

• Business Litigation

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor matter with the Beverly Hills Police department.

CONFIDENTIAL Bethea v Burnett

• Business Litigation

Action relating to claims that defendants improperly used plaintiff's idea and concept for the reality television series "The Apprentice".

CONFIDENTIAL Todd McNair vs. NCAA

GBW's Bruce Broillet, Scott Carr, and Christian Nickerson, along with legal counsel for the defense, reached a confidential settlement ending a decade of litigation in Todd McNair vs. NCAA.

Six Figure Wrongful Death Involving Transport Van

• Wrongful Death

GBW's Geoff Wells and Ivan Puchalt secured a six-figure settlement in the wrongful death case of a 67-year-old dialysis patient. The driver of Patient Care Transportation, Inc. collided with a vehicle that struck the transport van in the left rear portion where the patient was seated, causing her fatal injuries.

Six Figure Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

• Workplace Injuries

Six-figure settlement for a client who slipped and fell on dangerous and unprotected stairs at his job, striking his head on a concrete bollard and sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury.

Seven Figure Traumatic Brain Injury

• Truck Accidents

Seven-figure policy limits settlement on behalf of a genetic researcher and her husband after she sustained a traumatic brain injury when her passenger vehicle was side-swiped by a tractor-trailer.