PERSONAL INJURY & WRONGFUL DEATH
Ramirez v. County of Riverside, et al.: Represented the family and estate of Gloria Ramirez in the so-called "Riverside Mystery Fumes" case from 1994 - 1999. Case involved a patient, Gloria Ramirez, who was brought to Riverside General Hospital where she died while the ER was evacuated. The hospital claimed that the decedent (Ramirez) emitted a substance from her blood which made ER staff ill. The case attracted worldwide attention involving an elaborate autopsy and the refusal by the County to release the body without special precautions. The County, on behalf of the Hospital and Coroner's office, eventually paid the family over $800,000.
Donahue v. Estate of Quinten, et al.: Plaintiff's vehicle was struck head on by a young driver who had been drinking. Mr. Schwartz alleged a novel theory of "civil conspiracy" against other participants in the at-fault driver's car and others for agreeing to drink, drive and party. The jury found a civil conspiracy and awarded damages in excess of $5 million.
John Doe v. Doe Distribution: Plaintiff was a newborn who was circumcised at the hospital. Unfortunately, the pediatrician performing the procedure lacerated the organ with serious complications. The case was brought to trial against the clamp product distributor for manufacturing and design defects. At the trial, the jury found that defects in the clamp contributed to the injury. The jury awarded damages in excess of $1.5 million, which may be the largest recovery for this type of injury reported.
Dorman v. Head & Guild: Mr. Schwartz represented Mr. Dorman in the State Court of Beaumont, Texas in 1982/1983. Mr. Dorman had a lower leg amputation and other injuries arising out of a construction site accident and the case was tried for several weeks. Most Texas lawyers at the time believed that worker's compensation was the exclusive remedy under the facts. Defendants made little or no offer to settle prior to trial. The case settled before final arguments for $2.8 million.
Catellier v, Sioux Bee Honey: Our firm represented the plaintiffs in a landmark case in Los Angeles Superior Court for product liability where plaintiff, an 8 week old infant, consumed Sioux Bee Honey and developed infant botulism. She survived and did quite well physically, but she and her parents were awarded $800,000 by the jury for emotional distress. It has now been documented in textbooks and other literature provided by the State of California that honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age. Some companies, including Sioux Bee, now place warning labels on the honey containers, as requested by Mr. Schwartz and plaintiff's expert witnesses at the trial in this matter.
Does v. Showa Denko of Japan, et al.: The Law Offices of Ronald B. Schwartz represented six clients who were taken seriously ill or died from a defective batch of a dietary supplement called L-Tryptophan. Millions of Americans ingested dosages in pill form as a substitution for prescription sleeping pills or similar over-the-counter drugs. Mr. Schwartz was appointed by the Orange County Superior Court to be co-lead counsel for all thirty cases coordinated with a single judge. These cases obtained national attention since the illness diagnosed was a newly identified syndrome called EMS (eosinophilia myalgia syndrome) and the product was ultimately banned from sale in the U.S. In the cases Mr. Schwartz personally represented, the clients obtained among the highest recoveries in the country (amounts are subject to a confidentiality agreement).
Doe v. Roe Driver, Roe Manufacturer, Roe Automobile Dealer: Our firm represented a young man, an airline ticketing agent and former Disneyland cast member, who was a passenger in a Sazuki Samurai S.U.V. when that vehicle was struck on the passenger-side by another vehicle at a relatively low speed, causing the vehicle to spin, roll-over several times and eject our client from the vehicle, causing severe head injuries. A lawsuit was brought against the automobile manufacturer for design and manufacturing defects (allowing for the roll-over and ejection of the passenger from the vehicle), as well as for negligence against the other driver. We recovered in excess of $4.2 million for our client.
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PRODUCT LIABILITY
Catellier v, Sioux Bee Honey: Our firm represented the plaintiffs in a landmark case in Los Angeles Superior Court for product liability where plaintiff, an 8 week old infant, consumed Sioux Bee Honey and developed infant botulism. She survived and did quite well physically, but she and her parents were awarded $800,000 by the jury for emotional distress. It has now been documented in textbooks and other literature provided by the State of California that honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age. Some companies, including Sioux Bee, now place warning labels on the honey containers, as requested by Mr. Schwartz and plaintiff's expert witnesses at the trial in this matter.
Does v. Showa Denko of Japan, et al.: The Law Offices of Ronald B. Schwartz represented six clients who were taken seriously ill or died from a defective batch of a dietary supplement called L-Tryptophan. Millions of Americans ingested dosages in pill form as a substitution for prescription sleeping pills or similar over-the-counter drugs. Mr. Schwartz was appointed by the Orange County Superior Court to be co-lead counsel for all thirty cases coordinated with a single judge. These cases obtained national attention since the illness diagnosed was a newly identified syndrome called EMS (eosinophilia myalgia syndrome) and the product was ultimately banned from sale in the U.S. In the cases Mr. Schwartz personally represented, the clients obtained among the highest recoveries in the country (amounts are subject to a confidentiality agreement).
Doe v. Roe Driver, Roe Manufacturer, Roe Automobile Dealer: Our firm represented a young man, an airline ticketing agent and former Disneyland cast member, who was a passenger in a Sazuki Samurai S.U.V. when that vehicle was struck on the passenger-side by another vehicle at a relatively low speed, causing the vehicle to spin, roll-over several times and eject our client from the vehicle, causing severe head injuries. A lawsuit was brought against the automobile manufacturer for design and manufacturing defects (allowing for the roll-over and ejection of the passenger from the vehicle), as well as for negligence against the other driver. We recovered in excess of $4.2 million for our client.
John Doe v. Doe Distribution: Plaintiff was a newborn who was circumcised at the hospital. Unfortunately, the pediatrician performing the procedure lacerated the organ with serious complications. The case was brought to trial against the clamp product distributor for manufacturing and design defects. At the trial, the jury found that defects in the clamp contributed to the injury. The jury awarded damages in excess of $1.5 million, which may be the largest recovery for this type of injury reported.
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INSURANCE BAD FAITH
Cords v. Farmers Insurance : This case was a good example of an insurance company breaching their "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing." When our senior, retired clients were sued by a disgruntled tenant, the insurance company refused to provide a lawyer for them, as required by the policy, and to defend the case. As a result, our clients had to hire an attorney, who settled the case. The result was that, between attorneys' fees and settlement, our clients had to expend $10,000 which should have been paid for by their insurance company. On their behalf, we filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against Farmers Insured and their subsidiary, Fire Insurance Exchange, alleging bad faith and requesting punitive damages, to set an example of their conduct and to deter other companies from acting in a similar fashion. After a hard-fought battle, on the eve of trial, we won a settlement of $900,000 for our clients.
Doe v. Doe Insurance Co./HMO: Represented medicare/HMO member in a suit against nationally known Insurance Company that sold HMO healthcare policy to our client for their failure to advise our client that specialist doctors in the County where client lived would boycott treating senior HMO members (like our client), in the event that they were injured, because of inadequate reimbursement to these specialist doctors. When our client was accidentally injured and needed surgery, the specialist doctors refused to provide service and a doctor who was unfamiliar with the facilities at the local hospital was brought in, resulting in serious complications and injuries to our client. We successfully recovered over $1,000,000 for our client.
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BUSINESS, CONSUMER AND ENTERTAINMENT LITIGATION
Doe Seniors v. Roe Dealership: Our firm worked along with co-counsel and represented an elderly couple in a case where a car dealer fraudulently induced our clients into purchasing a new car, which they did not need, by falsely telling them that there was a "rats' nest" in the engine of their car (which they had brought into the dealership for service) and the rats had eaten up the wiring in their engine. We recovered $275,000 for our clients.
Reverse Mortgage Loan/Predatory Lending Cases: We are currently working with co-counsel representing senior consumers and their families in cases where seniors have been taken advantage of in the marketplace by businesses praying on the elderly. One of our present cases includes claims of Unfair Business Practices (under Business & Professions Code 17200), violations of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Elder Abuse and fraud, and has already made published law in California, [See, Flores v. Transamerica HomeFirst, Inc. et al., 113 Cal.Rptr.2d 376 (Court of Appeals First District Division 5, California 2001- H. Shaina Goldman) where the Court refused to enforce an arbitration clause contained in reverse mortgage loan documents based on unconscionability.]
Doe Minor v. MTV, et al.: Our firm is currently representing a minor in a suit for battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress against MTV for harm she suffered at the taping of a MTV show where she, and other audience members, were sprayed with feces.
Business Disputes/Entertainment: Ms. Goldman has successfully resolved partnership disputes involving entertainment & film companies, including negotiating the terms of partnership/corporate dissolutions and drafting share purchase and settlement agreements.
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SEXUAL ABUSE BY CLERGY
Child Molestation Cases: In child molestation church related/priest cases, as well as in cases involving molestation in daycare centers, resorts and private schools, we have recovered damages ranging from $500,000 to over $1 million dollars for our clients.
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ELDER ABUSE
Reverse Mortgage Loan/Predatory Lending Cases: We are currently working with co-counsel representing senior consumers and their families in cases where seniors have been taken advantage of in the marketplace by businesses praying on the elderly. One of our present cases includes claims of Unfair Business Practices (under Business & Professions Code 17200), violations of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Elder Abuse and fraud, and has already made published law in California, [See, Flores v. Transamerica HomeFirst, Inc. et al., 113 Cal.Rptr.2d 376 (Court of Appeals First District Division 5, California 2001- H. Shaina Goldman) where the Court refused to enforce an arbitration clause contained in reverse mortgage loan documents based on unconscionability.]
Cords v. Farmers Insurance : This case was a good example of an insurance company breaching their "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing." When our senior, retired clients were sued by a disgruntled tenant, the insurance company refused to provide a lawyer for them, as required by the policy, and to defend the case. As a result, our clients had to hire an attorney, who settled the case. The result was that, between attorneys' fees and settlement, our clients had to expend $10,000 which should have been paid for by their insurance company. On their behalf, we filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against Farmers Insured and their subsidiary, Fire Insurance Exchange, alleging bad faith and requesting punitive damages, to set an example of their conduct and to deter other companies from acting in a similar fashion. After a hard-fought battle, on the eve of trial, we won a settlement of $900,000 for our clients.
Doe Seniors v. Roe Dealership: Our firm worked along with co-counsel and represented an elderly couple in a case where a car dealer fraudulently induced our clients into purchasing a new car, which they did not need, by falsely telling them that there was a "rats' nest" in the engine of their car (which they had brought into the dealership for service) and the rats had eaten up the wiring in their engine. We recovered $275,000 for our clients.
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RETALIATION & "WHISTLE BLOWER" SUITS
Doe v. Doe Company.: Our firm recovered $950,000 for a female executive who was demoted and terminated during a reorganization following her complaint to human resources that her supervisor was discriminating against her because of her status as a new mother.
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