Results

Settled for $7,125,000

Our client was an 80 year-old passenger in a tender vessel. The vessel rose quickly on a wave and fell quickly causing our client to suffer a spine fracture that required a two-level fusion surgery.

Licensing Agreement Termination

Arbitration Award: $4.9 Million | ABC Corp v. XYZ Corp. Defendants

ABC Corp v. XYZ Corp. Defendants, a publicly traded company, terminated a licensing agreement with our client and nearly forced our client into bankruptcy, which is why they could not afford to pay an attorney on an hourly basis. We were the third attorneys on the case. Defendants offered $900,000 on the first day of arbitration and asserted that, if we did not accept it, they were going to prove that our clients were crooks. We rejected the offer and obtained an arbitration award for $4,900,000.

Settled for $4,800,000

Our client was a hard-working father who lost his livelihood in an instant when he suffered a major injury and amputation to his leg. We uncovered evidence of the Defendant’s failure to follow basic safety rules. Along with our team of highly qualified experts, we thoroughly explained every aspect of how our client, his wife, and his kids’ lives were changed forever by this tragedy.

Settlement Award: $4.3 Million | ABC Corp v. XYZ Corp. Defendants

ABC Corp v. XYZ Corp. Defendants raided our clients’ employees, stole their trade secrets, and then interfered with our clients actual and prospective customers. We sued Defendant for tortious interference with prospective economic relations, interference with contractual relations, and unfair business practices.

Settlement: $3 Million | Class Action Settlement.

Truck Drivers v. Agricultural Company. $3,000,000 class action settlement agreement that included payments to truck drivers and forgiveness of their debt. Our firm was lead co-counsel in a class action and PAGA claim for truck drivers of an agricultural company engaging in wage theft. The drivers did not receive pay as they waited substantial amounts of time to load and unload their trucks. Truck drivers who left the company were unlawfully charged for training expenses to discourage them from leaving. The settlement resulted in hundreds of hard-working truck drivers being better compensated for their work going back over five years, and forgiveness of the unlawful training charges.

Motorcycle Accident

Settlement Award: $3 Million | John Doe v. Construction Company

Our client was riding his motorcycle going straight down the street. Defendant driver employed by a construction company turned left, across our client’s lane, and hit our client. Our client suffered a fractured hip and fractured forearm requiring several surgeries. The case settled on the eve of trial for $3,000,000.

Construction Site Injury

Jury verdict in excess of $3,000,000

Our client an experienced electrician sustained a severe wrist injury at a construction site when he fell and tripped over some formboards with rebar inside of them. After a long fight, our client received compensation for his substantial lost wages and pain and suffering. This case was factually complex, and the Venardi Zurada team fought hard to uncover a smoking gun document that pointed the finger at the Defendant general contractor. By the end of trial, jurors did not believe the defendant, whose witnesses repeatedly lied on the stand. The jury found that the general contractor in charge of the construction site failed to provide our client safe and convenient access to toilets and that our client was forced into choosing between two poor toilet paths.

Insurance Bad Faith

Award: $2,600,000 | Jane Doe v. ABC Corp.

Contractor failed to build property pursuant to architect’s plans, and insurer denied claims in bad faith.

Product Liability

Settlement: $2,350,000 | John Doe and Jane Doe v. XYZ Corp

Our client made glass figurines finished in a paint thinner and lacquer mix. Both of our clients developed cancer. We retained all the appropriate experts, proved that the paint thinner contained benzene, which was causally related to our clients’ cancer. The case settled after a battle of the experts for $2,350,000.

Product Liability

Jury Trial Verdict of $2,300,000 | John Doe v. Product Manufacturer

Our client was injured while riding a device manufactured by Defendant. The case settled after a three-week jury trial with a $2,300,000 verdict.

Settled for $2,000,000 | John Doe and Jane Doe v. XYZ Corp

Our client’s daughter was putting gas in her car on the side of the road. Defendant driving a van veered off the road and killed our client’s daughter. The case settled for $2,000,000.

Premises Liability

Settled for policy limits of $2,000,000 | John Doe v. Restaurant

Restaurant employee seated our client at a table where a room divider curtain hid an object with a sharp point on it. Our client bent over to pick something up from the floor and struck his head on the concealed sharp corner. Our client suffered a traumatic brain injury. We sued Defendant for negligently concealing the sharp and dangerous object. The case settled for insurance policy limits of $2,000,000.

Judgment in excess of $1,500,000 | Employees v. Indian Restaurant

Judgment in excess of $1.5 million (with attorneys’ fees). Employees v. Indian Restaurant: Four employees of a restaurant were wrongfully terminated and threatened with deportation after they complained about repeated wage and hour violations by the employer. The employees worked more than 60 hours per week and were frequently shorted on their already meager “salaries”. The employer repeatedly promised to make up the backpay in the future and, after employees became persistent in their complaints about the unpaid wages and long hours, the owners of the restaurant threatened to call immigration authorities and have the employees deported. We prevailed at trial, persisted through six bankruptcies, multiple fraudulent liens on assets, and eventually seized three investment properties belonging to the employers.

Mediation settlement for $1,350,000 | John Doe v. Financial Institution

Our client was an Area Manager for a large financial institution. He was terminated after he complained about another manager sexually harassing one of the employees, and after our client participated in an investigation of the complaints. The case settled through mediation for $1,350,000.

Mold Claim Denied Insurance Coverage

Mediation settlement for $1,350,000 | Toxic Mold Denied Insurance Claim

Insurance company denied coverage for a mold claim after it failed to take appropriate action to remediate the property. The case settled for $1,350,000.

Toxic Mold Exposure

Settled for $1,250,000 | Jane Doe v. ABC Corp.

Our clients suffered personal injuries as a result of mold exposure. The exposure killed their puppy. We were the fifth lawyer on the case. Plaintiff’s prior lawyer recommended that they accept a $90,000 settlement offer. We thought Defendant had done way too much harm to our clients and needed to fully compensate them. The case settled for $1,250,000 on the courthouse steps.

Settled for $1,200,000.00 | Jane Doe v. Property Management Company

Defendant’s manager sexually harassed our clients and terminated them when they complained.

Combined Settlement: $1.1 Million | Jane Doe v. Medical practice

Defendant sexually harassed our clients.

Judgement in excess of $1,100,000 | Jane Doe v. Fraudulent Transferors

Our client was able to prove, after a full trial, that defendants placed about $1,100,000 in fraudulent liens to avoid collection on an earlier $800,000 plus judgment in favor of our client. The judge issued a tentative decision in the fraudulent transfer action indicating that he intended to extend the original $800,000 plus judgment against all persons involved in the fraudulent transfers, and would award significant emotional distress and punitive damages, resulting in a judgment well in excess of the $1.1 million in fraudulent transfers. The case settled before judgment was entered.

Commercial Driver Accident

Policy Limit Settlement of $1,100,000 | John Doe v. Commercial Driver

Client was able to recover $1,100,000 (policy limits) for spinal injuries resulting from a low-speed vehicle collision caused by an inattentive commercial driver, and then made worse by another low-speed collision involving another inattentive driver. Plaintiff had spinal surgeries prior to the collision and the collisions aggravated those prior spinal problems and led to two more spinal surgeries.

Bicycle Accident

Settled for $1,000,000 | Bicyclist struck by vehicle.

Our client was riding her bike when a driver turned right and struck her causing fractured patella and large cut on her neck.

Settled for $1,000,000

Our client was standing near a forklift when the operator lost control of the load and dropped it on our client’s foot causing peripheral nerve injury to the foot.

Premises Liability / Personal Injury

Settlement: $1,000,000 | Hernandez v. Dan’s Bar

Our client was a Patron at Dan’s Bar. Our client had a disagreement with the bartender that resulted in our client’s ejection from the facility. While he was outside the bouncer threw his shoulder into our client’s chest and caused our client to fall and strike his head on the concrete. We fought the insurance company which claimed that our client was responsible for his own injuries. The case settled for insurance policy limits of $1,000,000 just before trial.

Settlement: $1,000,000 | Bicyclist v. Auto Driver

Bicyclist was struck by large auto and suffered severe physical and mental injuries. Defendant did not want to take responsibility until right before trial.

Settlement: $865,000

Missed diagnosis of a benign tumor that grew causing surgery that would not have been necessary.

Settlement: $800,000 | John Doe v. Jane Doe

Our clients brought a wrongful death claim after their father was killed in a motorcycle versus car accident in a very challenging damages case.

Bicycle Accident

Settlement: $650,000 | Bicyclist v. Driver

A driver struck and injured an avid bicyclist who tried conservative treatment but eventually needed a knee replacement surgery.

Settlement: $625,000 | Motorcycle Accident

Motorcycle accident. Total settlement value $625,000.

Terminated Contract

Settlement: $625,000 | ABC Corp v. XYZ Corp

Defendants terminated a contract to provide improvements to a number of office buildings. Our clients could not afford an hourly attorney so we represented them on a contingency fee.

Employee Misclassification

Settled for more than $600,000 | Pharmacists v. Pharmacy Company

Our clients were pharmacist who were misclassified as salaried employees and not paid their overtime and were not provided their meal or rest breaks. This type of case requires significant document analysis, and we reviewed a voluminous number of documents to confirm what was happening to our clients.

Settlement: $590,000 | Shrimplin v. Driver

Our client’s vehicle was struck by another driver going about 30 mph on an Oakland street. Our client had dreams of becoming a stylist, and she suffered from chronic pain, had no surgeries and limited medical treatment. Our client, her friends and family, and our team of experts testified at trial. The insurance company made a final offer of $15,000 before trial and dismissed her pain and suffering as inconsequential and temporary. $590,000 (about 20 times the offer).

Settlement: $565,000 | John Doe v. Vessel Operator

Our clients brought a wrongful death claim after he was killed in a collision between two vessels in a nearly impossible liability case.

Settled for more than $550,000 | John Doe v. Professional Firm

Defendant terminated our client because of his age.

Pedestrian Serious Injury Accident

Settled for over $500,000 | Pedestrian v. Driver

A pedestrian’s leg was broken when he was struck by a car at an Oakland crosswalk.

Settlement: $500,000 | Female Employees v. Restaurant

Two female workers were sexually harassed at a restaurant by their chef who tried to sleep with them and touched them inappropriately. When the two females complained, they were ignored. One client quit and the other was terminated in retaliation.