Businesses and individuals alike risk involvement in legal disputes of varying degrees. It is crucial for those facing claims or lawsuits to partner with a skilled law firm to guide them through the intricacies of legal disputes, and to provide strategic advice on how to minimize risks and protect assets.
At Walsworth, we have the breadth of experience needed to work with in-house counsel, risk managers, claims representatives, and other persons and professionals to resolve a wide variety of general liability matters. We regularly handle matters that include those that fall within the following categories, among others:
- Personal Injury (from soft tissue injury to catastrophic/wrongful death claims)
- Assault and Battery
- Premises Liability
- Property Damage
- Government Entity Liability
- Unfair Business Practices
- Trespass and Nuisance
- Commercial & Personal Auto
- Trucking & Transportation
- Landlord/Tenant
We represent businesses including, but not limited to, retailers, restaurants, service providers, commercial property owners, and contractors, as well as public entities and individuals in both self-insured matters and those insured under general liability policies.
Understanding Our Clients
Our investment in understanding our clients’ affairs, businesses, and operations allows us to provide unparalleled service that considers their objectives. That, coupled with our experience in handling a significant volume of property and personal injury matters, allows us to not only oversee a claim or lawsuit to successful completion, but to suggest new and improved policies and procedures for managing both existing and future matters that our clients may face.
Actively Managing and Defending Claims
With a team of over forty attorneys and more than thirty-five years in the legal industry, our firm has handled hundreds if not thousands of general liability claims. This affords us the foundation needed to actively manage and thoroughly evaluate claims to identify risks and potential exposures.
Through early case assessments, we help our clients identify cost-effective alternative dispute resolution strategies that could include exploring the prospect of mediation and arbitrations. When early resolution is not an option, we, at Walsworth, are fully equipped to forge down the litigation line, with either a continued cost-effective approach or a more aggressive one, depending on our clients’ objectives. The suite of services we offer also includes maintaining a “trial-ready” stance that is backed by our well-known strength and abilities to try cases and take them through verdict.
Representative Successes
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General Contractor v. Subcontractor
Obtained summary judgment for a subcontractor client in a case alleging breach of contract and negligence. The plaintiff was the general contractor on a large Caltrans project and argued it was owed a six-figure amount due to the subcontractor’s alleged faulty work. However, the court agreed with our position that a decision of the Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) in a pending California State License Board hearing acted as collateral estoppel and prevented the general contractor from pursuing its claims. In that prior hearing, the ALJ found that our client’s work was not faulty, and the general contractor had withheld payment in bad faith.
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Desimone v. Select 1 Realty
Represented owners and managers of a leased residential property in a case where the plaintiffs/tenants claimed that a four-month-old baby died as the result of exposure to mold, allegedly caused by water leaks in the home. Following review of the case by our expert, the defense position was that the baby died as the result of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The plaintiffs ultimately accepted a low value settlement.
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Robinson v. Large Corporation
Successfully defended and favorably resolved a catastrophic personal injury matter with debilitating injuries. The case involved a vehicle collision where we defended an employee driver who was under the influence of alcohol and had admitted liability. The case resolved for less than twenty-five percent of the initial demand following expert depositions and pre-trial motions.
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Lhotka v. Geographic Expeditions
Successfully negotiated a settlement for a fraction of the original demand in a wrongful death case involving a climb on Mt. Kilimanjaro.
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Vivas v. Southern Counties Express
Secured a defense verdict in a case involving an accident between a small car and a tractor-trailer. It was suspected that this was a fraudulent lawsuit, and, during trial, we proved that two of the plaintiffs had lied under oath about critical aspects of the case.
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Green v. Property Owner
Represented a property owner of a large commercial and retail center in Los Angeles in a case where a disabled woman in a wheelchair fell and broke her neck on the premises. Compliance with building codes and a prior accident at the same location were at issue. We successfully secured a settlement for a fraction of a seven -figure demand.
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Represented the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States in the settlement of an employee-driven auto accident case.
Professionals
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