A Legal Bully

Chris recently went to trial on a difficult lease dispute case against a very wealthy commercial landlord known as the biggest legal bully in the Contra Costa area. The vindictive plaintiff-landlord was ordered by the Judge to cover our client’s legal fees of over $50,000.00 after Chris’ successful defense of this landlord’s lawsuit against our clients. The landlord’s suit had claimed over $250,000.00 in damages against our clients. The plaintiff-landlord nevertheless offered to dismiss the case on the first day of trial. Our clients declined, which shows not only their courage, but their complete confidence in Chris, considering the potential devastation of losing the case. Needless to say, the successful outcome is a great relief, as well as a lesson to litigators like this landlord who would employ economic superiority to enforce an unrighteous claim.

Employee Is Sacrificed

A wrongful discharge claim in which an employee was dismissed for the potential harmful effect of her truthful testimony was settled for over six figures by Chris at a pretrial, judicially supervised settlement conference. The defendant employer twice appealed court rulings before finally settling when a trial date was imminent. The case was about protecting an employee’s right to give truthful testimony without fear of retribution, even thought the testimony is adverse to the employer’s interest. The Appellate Court denied the employer’s two pre-trial appeals, going against current appellate trends limiting employee rights.

Construction Defects Cases

Chris also recovered large awards for foundation damage to ultra-expense homes in the Danville and Blackhawk area. Chris has become an expert in soils movement and foundation cases. There is no substitute for expertise in these technically deep construction defect cases. A life savings invested in a home can be lost unless the case is won. Expert witnesses of impeccable integrity are also essential.

Helpless To Explain Himself

Mike continues to litigate tough cases. Currently set for trial is a case in which our client was roughed up, injured and arrested for drunk driving at twelve noon. The reality: our client was unable to communicate because he was slipping into a diabetic coma. Our client had a medic-alert bracelet prominently displayed on his wrist, which the arresting officer ignored. Given the absence of any evidence that our client could have been drinking (he was tested within one hour of arrest at a blood level of 0.0% alcohol), we believed he should have been aided in his distress, not arrested.

30 Years Old And Disabled For Life

Mike also obtained a good settlement for a young worker with a devastating back injury. The case settled for $185,000.00. The liability was based on the placement of a ladder on a slippery surface by a third party, who in turn had hired our client’s employer. "On investigation of the details of this case, I became convinced that the liability was much more clear than a first impression would indicate. A tragic injury, after which a young man has to live in pain for the rest of his life, could have been avoided," says Mike, discussing the Hines case and the success he achieved for that young father of two. The insurance carriers gave no indication of any possible settlement until one week before trial. The case had been turned sown by several other attorneys as too risky before Mr. Hines was referred to Goforth & Lucas.