2010 February Archive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Press Release) - Los Angeles, California, February 22, 2010

Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter J. Polos, 45, will join prominent plaintiff’s firm Panish Shea & Boyle LLP in an “Of Counsel” role following his retirement from the bench on February 19, 2010, the firm said Monday. “The firm is thrilled that Judge Polos will be joining us,” Brian Panish said in a statement. “The Judge’s background as a very successful plaintiff’s lawyer and his years of experience handling complex cases on the bench will make him a tremendous asset to the firm. We could not be happier. Plus, despite all of his experience he still has a long career ahead of him,” Panish said. Panish added, “Judge Polos brings a unique perspective to our firm. He knows the personal injury landscape as an experienced trial lawyer and understands how judges and juries want to see cases presented. He will help maximize the effectiveness of our firm’s trial litigation approach and ensure that the unique strengths of every lawyer in our office are used optimally to benefit our clients.”

Judge Polos will be the firm’s Director of Litigation and will assist in overseeing the firm’s entire litigation practice including mass tort cases, personal injury cases, business litigation and product liability cases. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Polos was a member of the Plaintiff’s Executive Committee of the Coordinated Fen/Phen Litigation; he was on the Executive Committee for the Coordinated Ford/Firestone Litigation; and was the Co-Lead Counsel for Southern California for the Coordinated Sulzer Hip Litigation. As Panish Shea & Boyle’s Director of Litigation, Polos will evaluate the viability of new cases and captain the firm’s pre-litigation investigation and forensic evaluative efforts. When in litigation, Polos will assist with assigning attorneys to various aspects of cases as dictated by their areas of strength and concentration. He will also work with experts to develop understandable courtroom graphics and teaching tools, and will direct and coordinate pre-trial focus group inquiries.

Judge Polos said that although he has greatly enjoyed his service on the bench over the last eight years the opportunity to work with one of the best plaintiff’s firms in the country was something he could not pass up. He cited the firm’s excellent reputation and his longtime respect for what the firm has done to represent consumers.

Polos was appointed to the Superior Court on December 24, 2000 by Governor Gray Davis and was sworn in on February 8, 2001. He spent most of his time on the bench on the court’s General Civil panel handling complex civil cases. He also handled felony and misdemeanor criminal trials.

He began his legal career working as an associate with the late David M. Harney who was nationally recognized as one of the country’s best personal injury trial attorneys and was a founding member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) founded in Los Angeles in 1958. Polos himself is a longtime member of ABOTA. At the Harney office, Polos tried medical malpractice, personal injury and product liability cases.

After eight years at the Harney firm, Polos served as a partner with the Orange County firm of Lopez, Hodes, Restaino, Milman, Skikos & Polos in Newport Beach until he was appointed to the bench in December 2001. During this time he also consulted with nationally recognized plaintiff’s firm Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson on complex mass tort cases.

Judge Polos received his undergraduate degree from UCLA and is a graduate of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He and his wife Kristie have two children, Jonathan and Mary.

Contact:

Brian Panish or Jessie Kohler
Panish Shea & Boyle LLP
310-477-1700
panish@psandb.com
kohler@psblaw.com
http://www.psandb.com/

According to a Los Angeles Times article, a new federal safety regulation announcement reveals that at least 34 people have been killed within the last decade in Toyota auto accidents involving vehicles that allegedly accelerated out of control. Since the initial reports of 13 fatalities connected to the gas pedal issue were made public and the Toyota recall list was announced, the number of official motorist complaints’ filed has dramatically increased. These additional complaints of unintended acceleration have been pouring in to federal regulators and it is uncertain how many more incidents will be reported when all is said and done.

The new fatality report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) includes 13 deaths reported since January 27, 2010, which was the day after Toyota put a hold on the sale and production of eight of its auto models in the United States. This was done in order to fix gas pedals that the automaker said can stick and cause unintended acceleration. Most of the reported incidents of fatal acceleration took place between 2003 and 2009, according to an analysis of the data by The Times. In addition, The Times found that all but one of the fatalities reported to NHTSA by motorists in 2010 actually took place in previous years. Some incidents even go back as far as 1992.

The complaints filed with NHTSA display accounts of Toyota and Lexus vehicles suddenly accelerating forward, colliding with other vehicles, buildings and pedestrians. Federal regulators reported that 22 people have been injured from Toyota unintended acceleration accidents, with injuries ranging from bruises and lacerations to a woman who was left in a coma due to a crash. A spokeswoman for the NHTSA stated, “It is normal for NHTSA to receive an increase in consumer complaints after a recall is announced…The agency is quickly gathering more data on all of these additional complaints to help guide our examination of sudden acceleration…as well as other safety issues.”

Toyota has resumed sale and production of the eight models that were previously put on hold to fix the gas pedal issue. Dealers are in the process of installing shims on gas pedals to fix what is being called a defect that could make the accelerator pedal stick.

The experienced Toyota gas pedal recall attorneys at the reputed personal injury law firm of Panish Shea & Boyle LLP are currently representing severely injured people in unintended acceleration accidents involving Toyota and Lexus vehicles. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a car accident with one of the recalled Toyota autos, our skilled auto product liability lawyers can help. Call Panish Shea & Boyle LLP today at 800-591-8116 to schedule a free case evaluation.

Source:http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toyota-deaths16-2010feb16,0,481821.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fmostviewed+%28L.A.+Times+-+Most+Viewed+Stories%29

On Saturday, February 13, 2010, four people were killed in a multi-vehicle pile-up after a passenger car was sandwiched between two large tractor-trailers in Ontario, California. According to a Los Angeles Times report, the smaller passenger vehicle erupted in fire, and the four individuals inside, including two children, died at the scene. Three other individuals were injured, and the cause of the crash is still being investigated by the California Highway Patrol. The car accident took place on Interstate 15 in the Ontario area.

All traffic accidents are different; however, the repercussions stemming from collisions can often be similarly catastrophic for individuals involved and their families. Whether an auto accident involving a tractor trailer is caused by a defective auto part or a reckless truck driver’s failure to follow traffic laws, injured individuals or the family members of wrongful death victims may be able to seek compensation from negligent parties.

In May of 2008, the personal injury law firm of Panish, Shea & Boyle LLP helped a teenage boy receive compensatory damages of $15 million after a Southern California Gas Company-owned truck errantly ran a red light, striking the teenager’s family’s car. In this trial case, Tilton v. Southern California Gas & Electric, the young man received $10 million in past and future pain and suffering, $3.57 million in future medical expenses and $1 million in future loss of earnings in the jury verdict. Panish, Shea & Boyle LLP also obtained a record $21 million trial and jury verdict in October of 2009 in Michael Nelsen v. Hillyard, Inc., et al. for an Iraq War veteran hurt in a car accident caused by a negligent van driver employed by Hillyard, Inc. Mr. Nelsen sustained catastrophic injuries that rendered him incapable of caring for himself, and relegated him to 24-hour care for the remainder of his life.

If you have been injured or have lost a family member in a Southern California tractor trailer accident, the skilled truck accident injury attorneys at Panish, Shea & Boyle LLP can help. In their many achievements as a personal injury law firm, Panish, Shea & Boyle LLP have successfully represented clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases involving defective auto parts and negligent truckers. For more information about the unmatched success record of Panish, Shea & Boyle LLP, visit their website at www.psandb.com or call 800-591-8116 for a case evaluation of your auto accident.

Source:http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/four-dead-in-pileup-on-interstate-15-in-ontario-.html