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Congratulations to Stephen Acker whose article on impeaching expert witnesses was recently published by national defense bar organization DRI (Defense Research Institute).  You can read the article in DRI’s The Voice, here.

Congratulations to Stephen Acker whose article on extroversion in the legal profession was recently published by national defense bar organization DRI (Defense Research Institute). Click here to read the full newsletter or click here to read the article.

Plaintiff incurred a traumatic brain injury, multiple skull fractures, and other catastrophic injuries, when he drove his Jeep into the back end of defendants’ big rig stopped in the gore point on a freeway. Jurors, however, believed that the truck became disabled and the driver had stopped in the closest, safest spot out of travel lanes and therefore was not negligent.

Plaintiff sought $50,000,000 following 23 days of trial in Los Angeles Superior Court relating to allegations of sexually assault of a three year old, special-needs child. However, jurors were more persuaded by the defense and returned a verdict in favor of Acker & Whipple’s client. Please refer to our Successes page for further information. You can also find an article published about it in DRI’s newsletter The Voice by clicking here.

The firm is celebrating with Stephen Acker as he passes this career milestone. The trial of Stephen’s 50th verdict focused on an indemnity provision of a construction contract to install new pipes and equipment in plaintiff’s oil refinery. Plaintiff sought reimbursement of over $1.1 million for the costs of defending and settling a bodily injury claim it alleged arose out of the defendant client’s work when a valve failed allowing oil to spray onto adjoining property injuring a crew member of a passing railroad locomotive. Stephen argued successfully on behalf of defendant that the defect was not part of defendant’s work, which had been substantially altered between completion of the construction project and occurrence of the underlying bodily injury claim. After eleven trial days, the jury returned a defense verdict. Congratulations, Stephen!

Defense Research Institute (DRI) has appointed Stephen Acker as Vice Chair of its Law Practice Management Committee, effective October 21, 2013. The latest issue of DRI’s It’s Your Business features an article by Stephen Acker about the “business” of law practice. Click on the title of this news story; then Click here to read to the article. Click here for the full newsletter.

Colette Magnetta moved on behalf of an event promoter defendant. Plaintiff claimed insufficient crowd control at a concert-like event allowed an unexpected bump which caused him to fall on stairs and incur a brain injury. Defendant asserted that it did not owe a duty to plaintiff for the unforeseeable touching and causation was speculative. The Court granted summary judgment.

Stephen Acker and Kelley Harman obtained summary judgment in behalf of a candle manufacturer defendant. The mother of two young boys lit a candle in their room and fell asleep. Soon after, LA Fire Department responded to a fire at the home in which the boys had both perished. LAFD recovered no physical evidence of a candle from the scene. The deceased boys’ parents sued the candle manufacturer and alleged, through their expert, the candle cracked and/or the glass casing was designed insufficiently to resist high temperatures. Plaintiffs’ expert provided no factual or evidentiary basis for his opinions, and all of defendant’s objections in this regard were sustained. With no evidence of a design defect, the Court granted summary judgment.