Confidential
Settlement – $75,000Judge
Court
L.A. Superior Pomona
Attorneys
Plaintiff
Andrew L. Ellis
(Ellis Law Corp.)
Defendant
Michael J. Gonzales Lagrama
(California Department of Justice)
Experts
Plaintiff
John Chabot
(medical)
Robert Schatz
(medical)
Facts
On Oct. 1, 2001, a loud explosion was heard which caused all the lights in the plaintiffs' area to go out. A second explosion was heard closer to the plaintiffs' home. Plaintiff A saw a ball of fire coming from a breaker box near his pool. The entire house was on fire and in the confusion, he thought that his granddaughter was in the house. In an attempt to rescue her, he suffered severe smoke inhalation. Plaintiff B rushed from the burning house and slipped and fell and injured her spine and chest. The plaintiffs alleged that the defendant City of La Puente's failure of a power transformer and lines owned by the defendant Southern California Edison and their negligent maintenance was the direct cause of the injuries and damages.
Settlement Discussions
The parties settled the case at $75,000.
Injuries
Plaintiff A suffered severe damage to the larynx and lungs. Plaintiff B suffered smoke inhalation, post traumatic stress disorder and exacerbation of existing diabetes. Plaintiff C suffered smoke inhalation, post traumatic stress. The plaintiffs' house was completely destroyed.
Result
The par
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