Doe Family v. Doe Corporation (Case Confidential)
$1.2 million
Klein & Wilson represented the Doe family, whose lives were shattered when their rented van experienced a flat tire and rolled several times. The family's five-year-old daughter was killed. Although the accident occurred in San Bernardino, a county notorious for low verdicts, Klein & Wilson was able to move the case to Orange County, where verdicts are larger. This was a case which required extreme sensitivity, as one of the allegations in the case was that Mr. Doe did not properly fasten his young daughter's seat belt. Klein & Wilson, therefore, took careful steps to position the case for a maximum settlement, without the father having to sit for a deposition where he would endure extensive cross-examination on the seat belt issue. Incurring only a minimum amount of expert expense, and after taking only two depositions, Klein & Wilson was able to settle the case for over $1.2 million. While not the largest verdict or settlement Klein & Wilson has ever achieved, the fact this settlement was achieved without the clients' having to testify (under the circumstances of this case) was one of Klein & Wilson's greatest case successes.
Doe v. Roe Corporation (Case Confidential)
(Settlement)
Klein & Wilson represented the manufacturer of a heater in an explosion case where plaintiff was seriously burned. Following aggressive defense tactics, Klein & Wilson was successful in obtaining a settlement in the amount of $60,000.
Gutierrez v. Norris Cylinder
(Settlement)
This case involved a nationally reported tragic accident where two Metrorail workers were seriously burned and another worker seriously injured when an acetylene tank manufactured by Klein & Wilson's client exploded. Klein & Wilson retained the world's leading expert on acetylene cylinders and presented a case indicating that other defendants and the plaintiffs themselves were primarily responsible for the accident. Recognizing damages could easily exceed $20 million, Klein & Wilson conducted mock trials and learned that ordinary jurors would hold other defendants responsible for the accident, not Klein & Wilson's client. Armed with these mock trials, Klein & Wilson entered into an imaginative "Mary Carter" settlement with plaintiffs, which allowed Klein & Wilson's client to settle the case for less than the costs of defense. The remaining defendants went to trial and ultimately paid plaintiffs approximately $15 million.
Hernandez v. Clearing Manufacturing Company
(Dismissal)
In this case, plaintiff's hand was amputated in an industrial accident. Plaintiff sued Klein & Wilson's client, who had owned the allegedly defective equipment for over 50 years. Klein & Wilson received summary judgment on behalf of its client, resulting in a dismissal of the case.
Garcia v. Richardson's R.V. Center, Inc.
(Dismissal)
In this case, plaintiff was rendered a quadriplegic in an accident involving a recreational vehicle. Klein & Wilson defended the manufacturer of one of the components of the recreational vehicle involved in the accident. As a result of its trial tactics, the case was dismissed against Klein & Wilson's client without any payment.
Dwight v. Clark, et al.
(Settlement)
Klein & Wilson represented a major manufacturer of trailer products in a tragic case where a woman was severely brain damaged in a trailer decoupled from an oncoming truck. Klein & Wilson's client paid the smallest settlement in the case, with the exception of the truck driver who was substantially under-insured and had no assets to pay judgment.
Powlison v. General Motors
(Settlement)
This case arose out of a serious single truck and trailer accident in Northern California. The Powlisons' General Motors Suburban left the road as a result of losing control of a swaying trailer. One of the Powlison children died and the rest of the family was seriously injured. Klein & Wilson represented the manufacturer of the brake actuator and the anti-sway devices on the trailer. Klein & Wilson settled this case on behalf of its client for $25,000, substantially less than any of the other settling defendants.