On September 30, 2010, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law the Expedited Jury Trials Act (AB 2284) The Act, introduced by a former insurance defense litigator, allows litigants to agree to a quicker, simpler, and cheaper jury trial option. Continue reading “California Expedited Civil Jury Trials Act”
Imagine being able to prove that a claimant has not been exposed to any toxic substance that your insured has manufactured, supplied or distributed. Such a test could significantly alter the civil litigation field of toxic torts. This is the claim of Dr. Bruce Gillis of The Cytokine Institute. Continue reading “New DNA Testing”
In William Keith Johnson v. American Standard, Inc., (2008 WL 878933), the California Supreme Court held that the sophisticated user defense in products liability actions applies in California. In its ruling, the Court held that the relevant time for determining user sophistication was the date the sophisticated user was injured and knew or should have known of the risk. The Court further focused on the sophisticated user population’s objective knowledge of the risk at issue, and not the individual plaintiff’s subjective understanding of the risk. Therefore, the Court confirmed that a manufacturer owes no duty to warn of a danger that the ultimate user knows of, or should know of, at the time of injury. Continue reading “California Adopts the “Sophisticated User” Defense”
Robert Katz is originally from California, however moved to Las Vegas in 2008. He played competitive sports at an early age and was part of the junior ice hockey team that won the California State championship, playing at the Fabulous Forum where the Los Angeles Kings originally skated. Later, he played on a youth hockey team which competed in Vancouver, Canada. The skills Robert learned through competitive sports provided a sound foundation for solving those problems and challenges he faces every day as a lawyer. Continue reading “About Rob Katz”
