Coast Law Group LLP

$2.8M

Personal Injury

Our client “Cathy” was walking in a crosswalk when she was struck by an intoxicated motorist and knocked over 30 feet into the roadway. She was diagnosed at the emergency room with countless fractures as well as a traumatic brain injury and remained in a deep coma for three weeks. When she finally emerged from her coma, she had no idea who she was or where she was, and could not speak or even recognize her loved ones. Although “Cathy” was a fighter and had a miraculous recovery, it was clear to CIL that it needed to obtain a settlement that would ensure that she was taken care of in the years to come. CIL thus rejected the driver’s offer to settle her claim for $500,000 and filed a lawsuit. Coast Law Group LLP assembled a team of some of the top medical experts in California in order to determine the extent of her injuries including a neurologist, a neuropsychologist, a psychiatrist and a vocational rehabilitation expert. After their tests confirmed the extent of her injuries, Coast Law Group LLP was able to secure a $2,800,000 settlement for Cathy at mediation.

$2.3M

Personal Injury

On a summer day in 2016, the “McCoy” and “Frank” families were out for a leisurely bicycle ride in Del Mar when they were struck by an intoxicated motorist and suffered devastating injuries. One child had to undergo eight surgeries to save his leg, while his uncle sustained a traumatic brain injury. The driver’s insurance company tried to settle with our clients for its $300,000 policy limit, but Coast Law Group LLP knew that this was nowhere near sufficient to compensate them for everything that they had lost. Coast Law Group LLP immediately launched an investigation to determine whether there were any other parties that could be responsible for our clients’ damages. Coast Law Group LLP determined that the driver was a waitress at a local restaurant who had admitted to drinking alcohol on the job before heading out to various bars. Although the bars could not be held liable for serving her, her employer could be if it had knowledge of her alcohol use. Coast Law Group LLP later uncovered evidence that while her employer had a “strict no drinking policy”, employees routinely consumed alcohol while working and the driver herself had been spotted consuming a margarita while on the job. Coast Law Group LLP thus pursued the restaurant under the legal theory that it was partially responsible for causing the accident because it had allowed its employee to become intoxicated while working in violation of its own policies and then to drive home intoxicated. Coast Law Group LLP argued that while the driver was clearly primarily responsible for the collision, the restaurant was 100% responsible for all of our clients’ economic damages under Proposition 51. Instead of leaving this in the hands of a jury, the insurance companies for the restaurant and the driver’s vehicle tendered their $2,300,000 policy limits. The driver likewise was sentenced to a lengthy term in prison for her reckless behavior.

$2M

Personal Injury

“Thomas” and “Emma” were returning home from the restaurant they own in Newport Beach when they were struck by “Danny,” a 19-year-old recklessly speeding in his father’s BMW M3. Before getting in the M3, Danny had been drinking alcohol with friends on his uncle’s yacht. Both Thomas and Emma were hospitalized, and Emma remained in the hospital for over a month. Emma required seven surgeries to address her multiple fractures and nerve damage. She temporarily lost the use of her left hand. In addition to causing severe injuries to Thomas and Emma, Danny’s recklessness also injured the three passengers in his M3, including causing his friend in the passenger seat to sustain a broken leg. There was only $500,000 in coverage on Danny’s M3 to cover the injuries sustained by Thomas, Emma and Danny’s three passengers. As a 19-year-old convicted felon, Danny had no income or assets. To complicate matters further, neither Thomas nor Emma had health insurance since private insurance was costly due to their self-employment. Within a matter of weeks, their collective medical bills exceeded $700,000. The restaurant closed for several days. Thomas, the restaurant’s chef, was unable to work during Emma’s lengthy hospitalization. Coast Law Group LLP discovered Danny had crashed another vehicle owned by his father prior to this collision. Coast Law Group LLP brought a claim against Danny’s father for negligent entrustment of the M3. Coast Law Group LLP identified a $1 million umbrella policy that provided coverage for the negligent entrustment claim specifically. Additionally, Coast Law Group LLP was successful in obtaining a portion of the settlement proceeds from the insurance on Danny’s uncle’s yacht, although coverage was initially denied. Coast Law Group LLP successfully obtained $1,325,000 in payments from the three insurance carriers-Danny’s automobile carrier, Danny’s father’s umbrella policy, and Danny’s uncle’s yacht carrier. Coast Law Group LLP strategically structured the payments to Thomas and Emma to maximize their net settlements and pay their outstanding medical bills. After the conclusion of the civil litigation against Danny’s father and with a contribution from the yacht carrier, Coast Law Group LLP pursued criminal restitution against Danny for Thomas and Emma’s additional damages. After hard-fought litigation in the criminal court, Coast Law Group LLP obtained a restitution award against Danny for Thomas and Emma of $630,000. Danny will never be able to discharge that restitution award in bankruptcy.

$1.6M

Sexual Abuse

When she was just 15, “Gina’s” teacher and coach initiated an inappropriate physical relationship with her. After Gina disclosed the relationship to another teacher, the abuser was arrested and convicted of a felony. Gina suffered from frequent panic attacks which in turn caused seizures. During litigation, Coast Law Group LLP discovered the teacher had received a letter of recommendation from his former employer although he had also behaved inappropriately with female students while he taught there. A fellow teacher at the former school district testified that when the defendant left that position, he felt as if the problem had merely been “passed on” to someone else. Coast Law Group LLP brought claims against the teacher, his current employer and his former employer. Gina’s parents could not afford to pay for the psychiatric treatment she desperately needed to heal from her trauma. Coast Law Group LLP ensured Gina had access to as much psychiatric treatment as she needed without incurring any out-of-pocket expenses. A settlement with the school districts was reached at mediation for $550,000. A stipulated judgment was entered against the teacher for $1,000,000. Coast Law Group LLP assisted Gina in investing a portion of her settlement funds in an annuity. This allowed her settlement funds to grow at a high rate of interest and provided for her to receive regular payments as a young adult.

$1M

Premises Liability

While participating in a 100-mile “century ride” throughout San Diego County, Ootsen Eastburn struck a “lip” on the pavement which caused her to be thrown over her handlebars and another rider to crash. Although “dangerous condition” cases can be very difficult to pursue, Coast Law Group LLP accepted the case because her neck injury was so serious that she had to have multiple vertebrae surgically fused together. A public records request revealed that several months before her crash, another cyclist had hit the same “lip” and likewise been thrown over his handlebars. It likewise revealed the same thing happened to another cyclist just hours before our client’s crash. On both occasions, the city made no effort to repair the condition or even mark it as a dangerous condition knowing full well that hundreds of cyclists were riding towards it. Regardless, the city refused to make any settlement offers. Coast Law Group LLP vigorously litigated the case and prepared for a monthlong jury trial when the city had a sudden change of heart and offered its $1,000,000 policy limit just days before trial.

$935,000

Personal Injury

Our clients “Cathy” and “Mark” were struck by a truck while crossing the street and were dragged on the road until the vehicle finally came to a rest. Although “Cathy” assumed that her health insurance would pay for her scar revision surgeries, it declined to cover these expenses because it considered them “cosmetic”. She likewise needed thousands of dollars in dental care and had no means to support herself or her daughter while she recovered from her injuries. Coast Law Group LLP located medical providers that would provide her with medical care “on a lien” and wait until the case was settled before seeking payment, and secured funding for her to pay for her rent and personal expenses while she was unable to work. Although the driver blamed our clients for “stepping in front of a moving vehicle”, Coast Law Group LLP was able to eventually secure a $935,000 settlement for our clients.