Our Experience

PERSONAL INJURY:

Gentile v. Hines
USDC Nev. Personal injury, auto accident. Family of five en route to vacation was struck by a commercial pickup truck that turned in front of them. Louis Gentile underwent spinal surgery. Total medical bills were $300,000.
$3 million recovery.

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Herndon v. Parball Corp., dba Flamingo Hilton Hotel, et al.
USDC Nev. Premises liability. Mild traumatic brain injury. Claude Herndon’s stool fell over because of a concealed hole in the floor. He struck his head on a table. $2.9 million settlement.

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CIVIL RIGHTS, POLICE MISCONDUCT:

Fidler, et al. v. San Mateo County Sheriff 's Office, et al.
USDC N.D. Calif. Sheriff’s Department negligence. Failure to diagnose. Angela Ramirez, who had a history of mental health problems, committed suicide while serving time for a minor drug charge. Jail personnel refused four times to provide a mental health practitioner. $475,000 settlement.

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Rivera v. City of San Jose Police Dept.
Police misconduct, excessive force, civil rights case. Aaron Rivera was pushed through a door and struck repeatedly by police with their batons. Police tried to take him into custody based on mistaken identity. He underwent a craniotomy and fully recovered. $390,000 settlement on first day of trial.

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Estate of Harvey Harrison v. City of North Las Vegas and Correctional Medical Services, et al.
USDC Nev. 1998. Wrongful Death, medical malpractice and civil rights action. Failure to screen, failure to diagnose a skull fracture resulting in a pons blow-out brain injury, allegations of excessive force (Settlement available upon request). The Harrison case also was a contributing factor in the reorganization of the department of detention from the city police department.

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Estate of Duane Banks v. City of North Las Vegas
USDC Nev. 1991. Wrongful Death, civil rights action. Failure to diagnose cocaine overdose (Confidential Settlement) and letter of public apology by Mayor James Seastrand and Chief of Police Jerry Zohner to Mr. L.C. Banks, stating:

"On behalf of the City of North Las Vegas, I write to you apologizing for your son's death and also for the City's negligent failure to provide medical treatment for the eight hours your son was in our jail, and for the extent such failure contributed to your son's death"

The Banks case was a contributing factor in the retaining of independent medical service providers in the North Las Vegas Detention Center.

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Estate of Charles Bush v. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, et al.
USDC Nev. 1993. Wrongful death action resulting in a substantial settlement in a high-profile wrongful death action. The police officers illegally entered the apartment of Charles Bush in violation of the Fourth Amendment and used excessive force in the application of a chokehold resulting in the death of Mr. Bush. At the time of Mr. Bush's death his fiancé was pregnant and the Defendants unsuccessfully asserted that the child was not entitled recovery pursuant to 42 USC 1983 or the State of Nevada Wrongful Death Act.

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Panaro v. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, et al.
USDC Nev. 1995. Civil Rights action pursuant to a dismissal of a criminal Federal Indictment for governmental outrageous misconduct. The police officers in conjunction with the Federal Government Drug Task Force set up a money-laundering scheme wherein they supplied the money to be laundered and upon the target gambling away the seed money used threats, intimidation and coercion.

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Jaeger v. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, et al.
USDC Nev. 1995. Police Shooting and Civil Rights action pursuant to a Fourth Amendment violation for the use of excessive force.

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CRIMINAL CASES:

State v. Richards, Not guilty verdict on first-degree murder charge.

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State v. Briggs I, Not guilty verdict on child abuse charge.

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United States v. Jones, Ex-felon charged with possessing a firearm. Case was dismissed on a motion to suppress evidence.

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State v. Briggs II, Felony coercion charge dismissed on writ of habeas corpus.

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REPORTED CASES/ CIVIL:

Bullard v. Bigelow, 111 Nev. 1178, 901 P2d. 630 (1995). Former employees brought action against employer alleging tortuous discharge, wrongful eviction and assault and battery. Plaintiffs’ verdict affirmed on appeal.

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Pittman v. Lower Court Counseling, 110 Nev. 359, 871 P2d. 953 (1994). Supreme Court reversed summary judgment holding that the 11th Amendment does not grant immunity to the Lower Criminal Court Counseling Service from action for wrongful arrest.

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Leone v. Goodman, 105 Nev. 22, 773 P2d. 342 ( Nev. 1989). Supreme Court reversed a medical malpractice action where trial court denied the plaintiff right to supplemental attorney-conducted voir dire.

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Wise v. Bechtel, 104 Nev. 750, 766 P2d. 1317 ( Nev. 1988). Certified question by United States District Court; Court held statute of repose did not violate the equal protection clause of state constitution.

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REPORTED CASES/ CRIMINAL:

Scheer v. State, 113 Nev. 938, 944 P2d 781 (1997). Retrial of contract murder mandated due to prejudicial juror misconduct.

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Schrader v. State, 102 Nev. 64, 714 P 2d 1008 (1986). Cheating at gambling case reversed without remand; case dismissed on prosecutorial misconduct where prosecutor claimed in closing argument that he had other evidence that was not introduced into evidence.

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Biondi v. State, 101 Nev. 252, 699 P 2d. 1062 (1985). Supreme Court reversed sentence of death and adopted a proportionality review holding that death sentence disproportionate to sentence imposed in similar cases.

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Godinez v. Moran, 509 U.S. 389 (1993). Death penalty case argued before the United States Supreme Court.