Rick Hardin Tries A Whopper Of A Case
Rick recently defended a local burger franchise which was accused of causing cancer when a customer bit into a burger containing a piece of wire metal. A pathologist retained by plaintiff claimed that the wire caused an immune reaction that caused myeloma cancer to return from remission, leading to significant damages and reduced life expectancy. The franchisee admitted responsibility for reasonable damages, but not for the return of cancer. The jury agreed with the defense, and awarded only modest damages.
Three Week Trial Ends In Defense Verdict On Defamation, Negligent Hiring Claims
In October 2010, a Santa Barbara jury returned a defense verdict on charges of defamation and negligent hiring brought against our client, a community college with over 15,000 students. The Plaintiff, a tenured faculty member, brought the suit against the College and a fellow professor, alleging that statements made in a grievance filed against him were defamatory. Plaintiff also argued that the College had been negligent in hiring the professor who filed the grievance. Rick Hardin and Naomi Dewey represented the College at trial, and argued successfully that the grievance and statements about the grievance were protected speech. After less than three days of deliberation, the jury agreed – finding that the professor had acted without malice and that there was no connection between the professor’s employment and the harm claimed by Plaintiff.
Demurrer Dunks Negligence Claim Against Home Seller
In 2010, Mark Coffin extracted his home seller client from a case shortly after the claim was served. In the course of selling his home, our client disclosed prior repairs. After water leaks reappeared, the buyer sued several repairmen for negligence. One contractor cross-claimed against our seller (who had hired the repairs), seeking indemnity for the claimed damages. Mark asked the court to determine that the contract his client had signed was a release of claims, not an agreement to indemnify the contractor. Result: Motion granted, seller dismissed.
Demurrer Results In Swift Dismissal For City
In January 2011, Naomi Dewey successfully obtained a dismissal for a city sued in a multi-million dollar wrongful death suit. The city had been named as a defendant in the case, which occurred on Highway 101 where it ran through the city’s boundaries, but had no control over the accident site. A demurrer was filed, and on reviewing it, Plaintiffs’ counsel immediately agreed to dismiss the lawsuit.
Favorable Settlement Resolves Traumatic Brain Injury Case For Nonprofit
Recognizing that nonprofits, even without liability, can suffer due to the negative publicity that a lawsuit can bring, resolving cases quickly and quietly is a key part of what we do for nonprofit clients. In this case, two local nonprofits were sued for damages arising out of an unwitnessed fall that resulted in traumatic brain injury. Naomi Dewey was successful in arguing that her client had no liability for the fall, resulting in a minimal settlement that protected the client from adverse publicity.
Wrongful Death Suit Resolved At Trial For Confidential Financial Settlement And Apology
When a local woman lost her only child to a drunk driver who made a U-turn on the freeway, and endured the subsequent disappointment of seeing her son’s killer walk free after a criminal trial, Rick Hardin and Naomi Dewey brought a civil lawsuit on her behalf. The wrongful death action named the drunk driver, the driver’s husband and her employer, based on California law that holds an employer responsible for acts or omissions of an employee on a “special errand.” The case was resolved at trial, and in addition to a confidential financial settlement, the defendant gave a public apology and admitted liability for the accident.
Rick Hardin And Naomi Dewey Defend Local Colleges And Cities
Rick Hardin and Naomi Dewey have participated in a string of successful defense efforts on behalf of local colleges and cities. These cases have involved a contentious trial between two professors and the college, a brain injury case involving large exposure to a central coast city, and a very serious claim of sexual misconduct by a county psychologist. All of these cases were resolved quickly and on terms favorable to our clients.