Deborah Chang

El Segundo • Trial & Litigation

Deborah Chang, a past president of both the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Consumer Attorneys of California, has had pivotal cases in Ventura County and a federal court in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the past year.

One of the complex cases included Michaud v. United States of America, which involved in the death of Esther Nakajjigo and highlighted the valuation of life in legal terms. Michaud et al. v. U.S., 2:21-cv-00722 (D. Utah, filed Dec. 10, 2021).

In January, Chang won $10.55 million for the family of Nakajjigo, a young Ugandan woman on a trip to Arches National Park when an unsecured road gate arm swung into traffic, pierced the car in which she was riding with her husband and decapitated her.

"The beginning and end of this year were important milestones because they involved two important trials that highlighted important safety issues because of the results achieved," Chang said. "The case of Michaud v. United States of America not only led to improved safety in our national parks, but also showed the world that justice could be achieved by Plaintiffs from France and Uganda."

In August, Chang completed a seven-week trial in Ventura in an elder neglect case that involved an intensive care unit in a hospital.

"We alleged, and the case highlighted, the difficult conditions that nurses faced when there was chronic understaffing and the most basic needs of dependent patients could not be addressed," Chang said. "While the jury was deliberating during the first phase of the trial."

The case concluded during deliberations with a confidential settlement, Chang said.

Chang has also joined forces with Micha Star Liberty to support victims of Eric Weinberg, a Hollywood producer and screenwriter and accused serial rapist, fortifying a legal team described as a "super power team."

Chang has been at the forefront of confronting systemic challenges in the legal system, particularly the distressing delays plaintiffs face before trials, exacerbated by budget cuts and the pandemic. She calls for a rejuvenation of the proactive court system of the past, advocating for a return to the efficiency once heralded by the "Fast Track" system.

"Because justice delayed is too often justice denied, the most disturbing trend now that must be addressed is the delay experienced by plaintiffs in getting to trial. In the last few years, our clients, who have already suffered and been through so much, have been devastated to learn that their trial date is repeatedly continued again and again," Chang said. "In one of our cases, defense counsel moved for and received, over our strenuous objections, six different continuances -- and the case still has not been tried. In the five years that have transpired since the complaint was filed, one of the two plaintiffs died. Similar issues existed when the Trial Court Delay Reduction Act of 1986 was enacted to address an alarming backlog of cases. We need to work together to once again get California on a fast-track court system."