California Personal Injury Law Firm Bisnar & Chase Wins $700,000 Injury Verdict against Southern California Edison
Plaintiff Alleged Company Destroyed Evidence Following Accident in which a 14-Year-Old Boy was Blinded in One Eye with a Paint Ball Gun
Newport Beach, CA (PRWEB) June 15, 2005 -- Bisnar & Chase, a law firm
specializing in complex personal injury cases, announced a $704,663 jury verdict
for damages against Southern California Edison for an accident in which a
14-year-old boy was blinded in one eye.
The incident involved a Southern
California Edison employee who shot a boy with a paint ball gun while on duty
outside the town of Big Creek, located in the Sierra National Forest, about 45
miles from Fresno.
“A teenager was blinded,” said Brian Chase, a partner
with Bisnar & Chase and the lead plaintiff’s attorney in the case. “For the
rest of his life, he has to confront the serious challenges that come with
permanent loss of vision in his right eye. The jury understood the gravity of
the situation. This is not like a broken arm that will heal with a cast and an
apology.”
The verdict is notable for the size of the damage award and for
the fact that the jury found Southern California Edison was responsible for the
actions of its employee, said Chase.
The jury awarded $700,000 to the boy
for general damages, including pain and suffering, and $4,663 for medical
treatment. The case, Joshua Hild vs. Southern California Edison, was argued in
Los Angeles Superior Court and the verdict was reached on April 28, following a
five day jury trial.
As a central point, the plaintiff’s attorneys
alleged that Southern California Edison destroyed key evidence – a handwritten
account of the incident that had been written by the employee immediately
following the accident.
“The lawyers for Southern California Edison said
they threw the employee’s statement away and then typed up a more formal
statement on her behalf to correct for ‘typo's,’” said Chase. “We argued that
this was an effort by the attorneys to clear the company of liability, and I
believe the jury was very troubled by this.”
About Bisnar &
Chase
Bisnar & Chase is one of the leading personal injury law firms in
the West and specializes in auto product liability. Founded in 1978 by John
Bisnar, the firm is based in Newport Beach, California, and has offices in
California and Nevada. Bisnar & Chase's mission is to hold wrongdoers
accountable for their negligence. The firm recovers millions of dollars annually
for its clients and in 2004, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association named
partner Brian Chase, "Trial Lawyer of the Year" in the product liability
category. For more information or to contact the firm, please visit their main
website at www.bestattorney.com.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb250995.htm