A Diverse Range of Recent Accomplishments
Toxic Exposure Matters: In addition to our continuing practice in asbestos litigation, inIn re: Latex Glove Litigation, as co-Plaintiffs’ liaison counsel, we successfully advanced the claims of clients that developed allergic reactions to this ubiquitous substance. A Proposition 65 matter successfully litigated the potential carcinogenic properties of candle soot. And, in a recent multiple chemical exposure case, RKM attorneys met the technically demanding task of proving that an industrial “soup” caused our client’s need for a kidney transplant. RKM attorneys are also litigating toxic exposure cases involving benzene, silica, acrylamide, asbestos, and other chemicals.
Before the Supreme Court: RKM successfully briefed and argued Hartwell v. Superior Court, defeating claims of preemption by polluters and drinking water purveyors, paving the way for the claims of thousands of our clients whose groundwater is contaminated. In our traditional practice area of construction accident litigation, we participated in the amicus briefing on behalf of the plaintiffs in the Hooker and McKown cases, blunting the impact of the Privette/Toland line of decisions.
Workers’ Compensation: The preeminent applicants’ firm in California continues its tradition of excellence, including obtaining several seven figure resolutions for our clients, along with a recent appellate victory in Gaytan v. WCAB, which expands the admissibility of medical evidence.
Employment Discrimination: InDurante v. Qualcomm, RKM attorneys represented eighty-six plaintiffs in federal court, alleging discrimination in their employer’s conduct of a force reduction, in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
Legislative Efforts: RKM attorneys were key players in the passage of a 2003 bill, which provided significant and long overdue benefit increases to injured workers in California. However, when Governor Schwarzenegger came into office in 2004, much of the law of Workers’ Compensation was changed, to the detriment of the injured worker. RKM attorneys continue to work not only in the courtroom, but in the legislature to remedy this situation.
Third Party Litigation: Our recent trial work yielded two high six figure verdicts for workers injured in unusually complex accidents. These results, along with several multi-million dollar settlements for injured workers, continue our longstanding predominance in third party matters, under Labor Code §3852.
Product Liability: The prosecution of an action on behalf of a child who suffered third, fourth and fifth degree chemical burns to his face and body from a widely sold sulfuric acid based drain opener resulted in a mid-trial multi-million dollar settlement and the agreement of the manufacturer to halt the manufacture and sale of the product.