GMSR: Practice Area

Tort Litigation includes personal injury and property damage, products liability, landowner and employer liability, responsibility for others’ crimes, defamation and invasion of privacy, and construction defects.

Click on featured cases (in red) for more information or click on attorney name for Tort Litigation cases associated with that attorney.

Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions, Inc. (2009) 179 Cal.App.4th 686 (petition for review pending)
Whether plaintiff may recover difference between amount billed and amount paid by plaintiff’s insurer for medical expenses (amicus)
Robert A. Olson

Cortez v. Abich (2009) 177 Cal.App.4th 261 (review granted)
Whether homeowners remodeling home owe OSHA duties to employee of unlicensed contractor
Robert A. Olson

Unruh-Haxton v. The Regents of the University of California (2008) 162 Cal.App.4th 343
Action by fertility patients for unconsented use of genetic material
Martin Stein , Carolyn Oill , Lillie Hsu

Perrillo v. Picco & Presley (2007) 157 Cal.App.4th 914 & 2007 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 9860
Workers’ compensation award is medical expert’s exclusive remedy for medical-legal services that overlap workers’ compensation and civil cases
Kent L. Richland , Jeffrey E. Raskin

OCM Principal Opportunities Fund v. CIBC World Markets Corp. (2007) 157 Cal. App.4th 835
Interpretation of allegedly ambiguous jury verdict
Irving H. Greines , Marc J. Poster

Fuller-Austin Insulation Co. v. Highlands Ins. Company (2006) 135 Cal.App.4th 958
Reversal of $100-plus million, involving extent to which stipulated bankruptcy settlement of asbestos claims could be enforced against bankrupt defendant’s excess insurers
Irving H. Greines , Robert A. Olson , Peter O. Israel

Arredondo v. Regents of University of California (2005) 131 Cal.App.4th 614
Accrual of cause of action for minor’s medical malpractice action under statute of limitations in Code of Civil Procedure section 340.5
Martin Stein , Carolyn Oill

396 Investments, Inc. v. Truck Insurance Exchange (2005) 2005 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 4876
Reduction of $25 million punitive damage award to $1 million
Robert A. Olson , Peter O. Israel

County of Los Angeles v. Superior Court (2005) 127 Cal.App.4th 1263
Statute of limitations of Government Code section 945.6 applies to a minor’s action against a public entity for injuries resulting from childhood sexual abuse
Martin Stein , Carolyn Oill

McCormick-Gordon v. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (2005) 2005 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 597
Propriety of rejecting medical malpractice expert's testimony on the basis of the expert's lack of qualifications and his failure to provide a reasonable basis for his opinions
Robin Meadow , Jens B. Koepke

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. v. Superior Court (Brown) (2004, B178678)
Challenge to discovery confidentiality order in tire-separation litigation (settled before decision)
Kent L. Richland , Peter O. Israel

Oliveros v. County of Los Angeles (2004) 120 Cal.App.4th 1389
Appropriateness of trial court’s denial of trial continuance where a party’s attorney is engaged in another trial
Martin Stein , Alison M. Turner

Franciscan Hill Homeowners’ Association v. Newhall Land (2003) 2003 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 11312
Construction defect instructional error, damage prejudgment interest
Kent L. Richland , Feris M. Greenberger , Jens B. Koepke

Nelson v. County of Los Angeles (2003) 113 Cal.App.4th 783
Court reversed parents’ wrongful death judgment because of their lack of contact with their adult decedent child and they private attorney general fee award because of their personal stake in the case
Timothy T. Coates , Alan Diamond

Mansell v. Otto (2003) 108 Cal.App.4th 265
Lawyer not liable for invasion of privacy where plaintiff’s medical records were ordered to be produced by court
Kent L. Richland

Burch v. Children’s Hospital of Orange County Thrift Stores, Inc. (2003) 109 Cal.App.4th 537
Section 998 settlement offer was invalid where made to multiple defendants without apportionment
Kent L. Richland , Jens B. Koepke

Velasquez v. RE/MAX Big Bear (2003) 2003 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 4936
Liability for injuries to homeowner’s guest caused by appliance defectively installed by unlicensed handyman hired by real estate agency
Kent L. Richland , Peter O. Israel

Greines v. Ford (2003) 2003 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 90
Summary judgment reversed in claim against automobile manufacturer for fraud and breach of warranty
Feris M. Greenberger , Cynthia E. Tobisman

Green v. Southern California Edison Co. (2002) 2002 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 4337
Enforcement of indemnity provision in construction injury suit
Irving H. Greines , Peter O. Israel

Velarde v. Cooper Tire (2001, D033801)
Consumer expectations test in product defect action; exclusion of expert testimony
Robin Meadow , Edward L. Xanders , Robert A. Olson

Zamacona v. Costco Companies (2001) 2001 Cal. LEXIS 1188
False arrest and imprisonment by store employees
Marc J. Poster

Day v. City of Fontana (2001) 25 Cal.4th 268
Availability of non-economic damages from municipality under Civil Code section 3333.4 for nuisance and dangerous condition of public property
Kent L. Richland

Collins Development Co. v. D. J. Plastering, Inc. (2000) 81 Cal.App. 4th 771
Procedure for allocating settlement payments found constitutionally defective
Martin Stein , Feris M. Greenberger

Sharon P. v. Arman, Ltd. (1999) 21 Cal.4th 1181
Commercial landowner’s duty of care to tenants to provide security guards for prevention of sexual assaults
Marc J. Poster , Robert A. Olson

Pelz v. Weider Management, Inc. (1999, C025517)
Impact of plaintiff's refusal to testify under Fifth Amendment in fraud action
Robin Meadow , Robert A. Olson , Peter O. Israel

Franks v. Southland Corp. (1999) 1999 Cal. LEXIS 6281
Whether a 7-11 store proximately caused injuries in parking lot confrontation
Robert A. Olson

Lombardo v. Gibbons (1999, B120873)
Personal injuries from automobile accident
Robert A. Olson , Edward L. Xanders

Spelling v. R.W. LaMar Construction (1999, B115679)
Liability of contractor vs. architect for defective construction based on defective design
Robin Meadow , Carolyn Oill

Charleston v. Hamilton Gardens Homeowners Association (1999) 1999 Cal. LEXIS 5688
Torts claims against condominium owner for injuries sustained in elevator
Robert A. Olson , Edward L. Xanders

Plattner v. City of Riverside (1999) 69 Cal.App.4th 1441
Municipal liability for inoperative street light as dangerous condition on public property
Timothy T. Coates

Cabral v. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (1998) 66 Cal.App.4th 907
Recovery of non-economic damages by uninsured motorist
Martin Stein , Carolyn Oill

Kern Investments, Inc. v. Cube Co. (1998) 63 Cal.App.4th 1412
Contractor owed no duty of care re negligent construction to trust deed holder
Robert A. Olson

Pattiz v. Minye (1998) 61 Cal.App.4th 822
Dismissal as discovery sanction is not a favorable termination on the merits required for malicious prosecution purposes
Robert A. Olson

Mattco Forge, Inc. v. Arthur Young & Co. (1997) 52 Cal.App.4th 820
Nature of proof required for malpractice case-within-a-case; appropriate jury instruction defining "clear and convincing evidence"
Kent L. Richland , Robin Meadow

Colome v. State Athletic Com. (1996) 47 Cal.App.4th 1444
State Athletic Commission’s employees and physicians entitled to statutory immunity in connection with licensure decisions
Martin Stein

Bishop v. Hyundai Motor America (1996) 44 Cal.App.4th 750
Lemon Law case regarding availability of emotional distress and loss of use damages
Kent L. Richland , Alison M. Turner

McClure v. Nissan Motor Corp. (1995, A061475)
Negligence – allocation of responsibility and instructional errors
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger

Kerins v. Hartley (1994) 27 Cal.App.4th 1062
Availability of damages from health care provider for patient’s “fear of AIDS”
Irving H. Greines , Barbara W. Ravitz

Wood v. Riverside General Hospital (1994) 25 Cal.App.4th 1113
Patient complaint letters to hospital did not comply with requirement of Government Tort Claims Act to present claim for damages before filing action
Timothy T. Coates , Carolyn Oill

DeVilar v. Southern California Rapid Transit District (1993, B067510)
Duty of bus company to passenger to warn of and prevent unprovoked and unforseen assault by another passenger
Marc J. Poster

Veatch v. Kubota Tractor Corp. (1993, A051524)
Personal injury action; instructional error and comparative fault issues
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger

Gorman v. City of Newport Beach (1992, G011663)
Contributory negligence of pedestrian struck by bicyclist whose bicycle suddenly slipped in sand negligently accumulated on repaired patch of public boardwalk
Marc J. Poster

George v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness (1992) 3 Cal.App. 4th 52
Mixed tort action based on alleged “brainwashing” of teenage plaintiff by ISKCON religious entities and officials
Kent L. Richland , Barbara W. Ravitz

Guzman v. County of Los Angeles (1991) 234 Cal.App.3d 1343
Public hospital is statutorily immune for injuries suffered by persons involuntarily detained for involuntary mental evaluation
Martin Stein , Timothy T. Coates , Carolyn Oill

Buchan v. United States Cycling Federation (1991) 227 Cal.App.3d 134
Resisted Supreme Court review of decision validating release signed by participant in elite bicycle race
Martin Stein , Feris M. Greenberger

Isbister v. Boys’ Club of Santa Cruz, Inc. (1985) 40 Cal.3d 72
Unruh Civil Rights Act applies to a private Boys Club
Kent L. Richland

Aguilar v. Los Angeles County (9th Cir. 1985) 751 F.2d 1089
Injured child was an indispensable party whose joinder destroyed diversity
Martin Stein

Turpin v. Sortini (1982) 31 Cal.3d 220
Scope of damages recoverable in a “wrongful life” case
Kent L. Richland

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