THE RESULTS
The reputation of a law firm is built entirely on the respect and experience it is able to offer clients who need assistance with their professional liability defense issues. The senior trial lawyers at Kjar, McKenna & Stockalper have been practicing in the industry for over 25 years and have dealt with nearly every kind of defense issue there is. With the support of our young, innovative legal team, KMS has won victory after victory for our clients ranging from trial and arbitration victories, dispositive motions and dismissals. These are examples out of a small sample set of our cases. Please keep in mind that every case is fact specific and different, and that these outcomes do not represent what we may be able to obtain for you in your specific case.
Judge Renders Defense Verdict in Favor of Jon Schwalbach and Jim Kjar
Plaintiff underwent a thymectomy procedure for Myasthenia Gravis. Following the surgery he developed a bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve injury which left him without a functioning voice. Plaintiff’s expert, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Rutgers University testified that the surgeon went too far laterally in his dissection and injured the nerves. The defense contended that the…
Read MoreRobert McKenna Successfully Defends Three Sub-Specialists in a Week Long Arbitration
Claimant presented with a two month history unrelenting jaw pain following a tooth extraction. He was seen by several physicians who missed what was ultimately diagnosed as an infectious process in the jaw that required several surgeries and lifelong injury. The dentist who extracted the tooth settled prior to arbitration and a defense award was…
Read MoreJury gives Jason Petersen and Jim Kjar defense verdict in Elder Abuse/Wrongful death trial
The case involved treatment given to an elderly patient. Plaintiff claimed that her mother was under the care of defendant for treatment of her heart and respiratory problems. The case contained claims for Elder Abuse, Wrongful Death/Medical Negligence and requested attorney fees and punitive damages against the health care provider, a national company. After a…
Read MoreRyan Deane and Alexandra Baraff secure verdict in favor of Nurse Practitioner in Antelope Valley
In a two-week trial before Judge Brian C. Yep, Deane and Baraff successfully defended Emergency Medicine nurse practitioner against Plaintiff alleging permanent injury to her left hand in a slip and fall/hand laceration injury sustained on the job. Plaintiff, a Medi-Cal recipient, alleged that delay in being treated by a hand specialist caused further damage…
Read MoreKatie Lafferty obtains defense award in arbitration of bariatric surgery death case
This case involved a patient who underwent a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure. Following the procedure, the patient developed a leak at the anastomosis, became septic, went into multiple system organ failure and died. Katie tried the case in front of a former plaintiff personal injury lawyer and successfully defended all members of the surgical team.
Read MoreRyan Deane defends case involving widow’s loss of her husband on their wedding night
Plaintiff was the widow of a man who died in a motorcycle accident on their wedding night. He received major internal injuries including an open book fracture of the pelvis. After resuscitative efforts, including surgery, failed, a wrongful death claim was filed. Plaintiff claimed that the emergency room doctor, as part of the trauma team,…
Read MoreRyan Deane successfully defends a deceased cosmetic surgeon
Plaintiff, an attorney, underwent breast augmentation and rhinoplasty by a cosmetic surgeon who used a controversial umbilical approach for the breast implants. She required multiple subsequent surgeries by other plastic surgeons. Plaintiff claimed permanent disfiguring injuries to her face and breasts. The defendant surgeon died before the lawsuit was filed, and therefore his version of…
Read MoreJury gives Katie Lafferty defense verdict in case alleging negligent laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Plaintiff underwent laparoscopic removal of her gallbladder for cholelithiasis and gallstones. After the procedure, she was diagnosed with a perforation injury to her small bowel. Plaintiff contended that the surgeon was negligent in causing the perforation and compounded his malpractice by failing to diagnose the perforation postoperatively. Plaintiff developed sepsis and required multiple subsequent operations,…
Read MoreJon Schwalbach defends case at trial involving major spine surgery
Jon defended a neurosurgeon who performed multiple level spine surgery for both upper and lower extremity abnormalities. Postoperatively, plaintiff complained of extreme pain and neurological deficits. Plaintiff was reoperated on by a prominent spine surgeon at Cedars Sinai who plaintiff claimed corrected the problems caused by the defendant. Both the subsequent treating surgeon and a…
Read MoreJim Kjar wins wrongful death trial for emergency room physician
The decedent was a 23-year-old mother of two who presented to the emergency room of a large Los Angeles hospital. She was diagnosed with high blood sugar and treated in the emergency room. She died four hours later. Plaintiff claimed that his wife was misdiagnosed with routine diabetic high blood sugar when she actually had…
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