Archive for the ‘Federal Decisions’ Category

On September 9, 2010, U.S. District Judge Steven V. Wilson of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted a motion to remand filed by Jeffrey I. Ehrlich for Shernoff, Bidart & Echeverria, LLP.  The insurer, Northwestern Mutual, had removed the case to federal court arguing that the insurance agent named in the lawsuit as a co-defendant was a “sham defendant” whose citizenship could be ignored.  Ehrlich filed a motion arguing that California law allowed actions against insurance agents in situations like those presented in the lawsuit, and therefore Northwestern Mutual’s removal was improper.  The court agreed, and remanded the case to state court.

Order Granting Remand (.pdf)

Jeffrey I. Ehrlich wins reversal in Ninth Circuit of summary judgment against paralyzed shipyard worker. Richard Thompson was rendered a paraplegic when he lost his balance and fell through a defectively-constructed scaffold at the San Diego shipyard of National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (“NASSCO”). NASSCO obtained summary judgment against Thompson in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. The district court granted NASSCO’s motion on numerous grounds, finding that there was no evidence that NASSCO had furnished unsafe equipment, and no evidence that furnishing the unsafe equipment affirmatively contributed to Thompson’s injuries. The Ninth Circuit reversed and remanded, rejecting all of the district court’s findings.

Download Decision (.pdf)

Ehrlich Law Firm wins affirmance of $15 million verdict

On July 14, 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a $15 million jury verdict on behalf of three Los Angeles Police Department officers who had been wrongfully accused by the department of corruption. In Harper v. City of Los Angeles, 533 F.3d 1010 (9th Cir. 2008), the court held that the evidence supported the jury’s verdict that the officers’ constitutional rights were violated, and that the award of $5,000,001 to each was not excessive. Jeffrey Isaac Ehrlich briefed and argued the appeal for the officers.

Ehrlich Law Firm retained to defend $15 million judgment on appeal

October 2006 – Three former Los Angeles Police Department officers who obtained a $15 million judgment against the City for wrongfully arresting them and accusing them of being corrupt have retained the Ehrlich Law Firm to defend their judgment in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.