With more than 35 years of experience representing plaintiffs who have sustained serious personal injuries or financial losses, the trial lawyers of BIREN|KATZMAN have successfully handled hundreds of cases, collecting more than $250 million for our clients. The following case is just one example:
LOPEZ V. ROE OIL CO.
Oil Company Settles For Millions With Burned Employees
On a Sunday morning, a Los Angeles retail store suddenly exploded in flames, causing total destruction to the building and several workers to be seriously burned. Lawyers initially hired by the injured employees were unable to determine why the explosion occurred and referred their clients to BIREN|KATZMAN because of their expertise in solving complex cases.
Through extensive discovery costing several $100,000, the firm established that an oil company had negligently used excessive amounts of acid to free up natural gas that was trapped in subterranean rocks. As a result, methane gas was freed up. The gas then migrated across fault lines, below a paved parking lot where it had no avenue of escape, and into the retail store's basement drain. When an employee flipped the light switch, the electrical charge ignited the accumulated methane gas, causing the explosion.
Diana Lopez and several other employees were burned, in varying degrees, in the ensuing fire. The case settled on the eve of trial for a confidential amount, reported in the LA Times to be between $5 and $9 million dollars.
Contact BIREN|KATZMAN for a free consultation about cases in any of our practice areas; your recovery could begin today.
