Results From Previous Cases Handled By Kristy & Kananen
Class-Action Settlements
Wage-and-Hour Class Action (Preliminary Approval of the Settlement Granted by Los Angeles County Superior Court on March 18, 2013) – $135,000 Saved
A corporate employer in the freight-forwarding business denied overtime compensation to employees who were “non-exempt” under California law – and thus entitled to compensation. The settlement of this class action will result in the opportunity for over 70 current and former employees to receive long-overdue overtime compensation. The company has changed its practices and now compensates non-exempt employees for overtime.
Construction Defect Litigation
2022 Confidential Settlement, Construction Defect: A Total Amount Between $850,000 and $900,000.
Represented multiple Southern California homeowners whose homes had suffered damage from construction defects. Result was achieved with co-counsel.
2021 Confidential Settlement, Construction Defect: A Total AmountBetween $500,000 and $550,000.
Represented multiple SouthernCalifornia homeowners whose homes had suffered damage from construction defects. Result was achieved with co-counsel.
2021 Confidential Settlement, Construction Defect: An Amount Between $200,000 and $250,000.
Represented a family in Southern California whose home had suffered damage from construction defects. Result was achieved with co-counsel.
2020 Confidential Settlement, Construction Defect: $235,000
Represented a husband and wife whose home suffered damage to its foundation as the result of construction defects. With co-counsel Kurt E. Kananen, Esq.
2012 Confidential Settlement, Construction Defect: $155,000
Represented a condominium homeowners association against the builder of all of the condominium for construction defects. With co-counsel Kurt E. Kananen, Esq.
Negligence and Breach of Fiduciary Duty of Homeowner’s Association – $80,000 Saved
Negligent maintenance of common areas, including roofs, led to water and mold damage to a condominium.
Landlord Negligence Resulting in Mold-Related Personal Injury to Tenant – $80,000 Saved
Landlords ignored severe water intrusion in plaintiffs’ apartment, causing personal injury and damage to personal property.
Landlord Negligence Resulting in Mold-Related Personal Injury to Tenant – $90,000 Saved
Landlords ignored severe water intrusion in plaintiff’s apartment, which resulted in harmful mold.
HOA’s Breach of Fiduciary Duty and Contractor’s Negligence – $750,000 Saved
A custom single-family home experienced uneven settlement due to soil movement. The HOA that managed the hillside community failed to inform homeowners about known soil movement. A contractor the owners hired to correct the uneven settlement caused further damage. Kristy & Kananen recovered from the HOA, the contractor, and the contractor’s soils engineer.
Construction-Defect Case Against Builder of Nine Condominium Units – $157,000 Saved
Defects included jammed and leaking windows; improperly-sloped concrete in garages, resulting in pooling water; and improperly installed showers.*
Employment Law Cases
2021 Confidential Settlement, Employment: $300,000.
Represented multiple non-exempt employees who had been paid on a “salary” basis but who were due overtime. The case involved multiple wage-and-hour claims for each individual Plaintiff.
2021 Confidential Settlement, Employment: $225,000.
Represented a terminated individual who alleged violations of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.
2021 Confidential Settlement, Employment, an Amount Between $50,000 and $75,000
2018 Confidential Settlement, Employment: $200,000
Represented an executive of a large corporation who was forced to resign under intolerable working conditions. Settled this dispute prior to filing a complaint for constructive discharge, harassment and retaliation, all in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”).
2017 Confidential Settlement, Employment: $125,000
Represented a female employee who was terminated after suffering an on-the-job injury. The lawsuit alleged wrongful termination in violation of public policy, discrimination, and harassment, all in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
Corporate Employer’s Wrongful Termination and Violation of Employee’s Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act – $265,000 Saved
A very large and widely known corporate employer interfered with its employee’s rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act. When the employee reported her supervisor’s interference, the employee – with an exemplary record of over ten years with the company – was fired.
An Employee of a Country Club had been Fired after Her Supervisor Made Disparaging Remarks about her Being a Woman and a New Mother – $180,000 Saved
The country club also failed to pay the employee the same wage as males doing the same work; failed to pay all overtime due, and failed to give meal breaks. Kristy & Kananen sued the country club for wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and interference with the employee’s rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). We also sued the club for violations of the California Labor Code, on behalf of both the plaintiff-employee and all other similarly situated employees at the club.
Insurance Bad Faith Cases
2020 Confidential Settlement, Insurance Bad Faith: $325,000
Represented multiple family members whose home was damaged by trees falling from a neighboring property. Plaintiffs alleged that their home’s insurer failed to honor its legal duties under the policy and underpaid their claim. With co-counsel Kurt E. Kananen, Esq.
2019 Settlement, Negligence (Damage to Real Property): $125,000, “Olvera, et al. v. Williams, et al.,” Los Angeles County Superior Court
Represented Plaintiffs, a husband and wife, in a lawsuit in which a neighbor’s retaining wall collapsed, severely damaging Plaintiffs’ property. With co-counsel Kurt E. Kananen, Esq.
2019 Settlement, Negligence: $700,000, Grimsley v. Hanjin Shipping Tec, Inc., et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court
Represented the injured Plaintiff, who was injured when his parked truck was struck by another truck. With co-counsel Calvin C. Schneider III, Esq.
2019 Confidential Settlement, Negligence (Damage to Real Property): $180,000
Represented a husband and wife whose custom-built home had defective windows. With co-counsel Kurt E. Kananen, Esq.
2018 Confidential Settlement, Insurance Bad Faith: $100,000
Represented a business whose insurer refused to defend and indemnify it under an employment-practices liability insurance (“EPLI”) policy.
2017 Confidential Settlement, Negligence (Damage to Real Property): $265,000
Represented a husband and wife whose home had been damaged by a contractor attempting to repair and stabilize the home’s foundation. Plaintiffs also recovered against the realtor of the seller of the home for failure to disclose known defects. With co-counsel Kurt E. Kananen, Esq.
2014 Confidential Settlement, Insurance Bad Faith: $695,000
Represented the father of a child who was denied mental-health benefits under the father’s health plan. With co-counsel Scott C. Glovsky, Esq.
2012 Confidential Settlement, Insurance Bad Faith: $403,000
Represented the mother of a daughter who died overseas after being denied essential medical treatment under a health plan. With co-counsel Scott C. Glovsky.
2012 Confidential Settlement, Insurance Bad Faith: $200,000
Represented a couple whose home suffered water damage and whose insurer denied benefits under the insurance policy. With co-counsel.
Wrongful Death Resulting from Insurance Bad Faith (Health Insurance)
A young woman contracted a serious illness while traveling abroad. She required immediate treatment, including medication that was not available in the country she was visiting. She died after her HMO refused to airlift her for treatment in the United States.*
Wrongful Death Resulting from Insurance Bad Faith (Health Insurance)
An HMO denied hospitalization benefits to a young woman suffering from severe anorexia; within a week of being forcibly discharged, she took her own life.*
Negligence of Homeowners Association and Neighbor, Plus Insurance Bad-Faith on the Part of Homeowner’s Insurer – $100,000 Saved
A pipe leak resulted in flooding of a woman’s condominium. Kristy & Kananen recovered from the insurer, the HOA, and the neighbor.
2011 Confidential Settlement, Breach of Fiduciary Duty and Negligence: $750,000
A custom, single-family home experienced uneven settlement due to soil movement. The HOA that managed the hillside community failed to inform homeowners about known soil movement. A contractor the owners hired to correct the uneven settlement caused further damage. Kristy & Kananen recovered from the HOA, the contractor, and the contractor’s soils engineer.
2008 Confidential Settlement, Insurance Bad Faith: $3 million
Represented the parents of a daughter who died after being denied essential medical treatment under a health plan. With co-counsel Scott C. Glovsky.
Insurance Bad Faith (Homeowner’s Insurance)
Kristy & Kananen recovered $250,000 for the insured homeowner without filing a lawsuit, in a case involving the flooding of her home, resulting in mold and asbestos damage.*
Insurance Bad Faith (Homeowner’s Insurance)
An elderly couple’s home flooded after a water pipe broke. The insurer delayed payment, and its chosen restoration company caused further damage to the home.*
Insurance Bad Faith (Commercial Liability Policy)
A liability insurer refused to settle a lawsuit against its insured, a small business, within the policy limits. Kristy & Kananen recovered from the insurance company in a bad-faith lawsuit.
Fraud and Insurance Bad Faith (Health Insurance)
An independent business owner purchased a health-insurance policy. The insurer promised that its policy would cover the costs of hospitalization and treatment in the event of major illness. When the insured became ill with cancer, he was saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars of unpaid medical bills.*
Flex Equipment Company v. Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company
In federal court, Kristy & Kananen represented a manufacturer of exercise equipment against its liability insurer. The jury unanimously found that Atlantic Mutual acted with legal malice when it wrongfully refused to pay an injury claim against Flex. The case settled during the punitive-damages phase of trial.
Broker Negligence and Insurance Bad Faith (Business Property Loss)
A family-owned furniture retailer’s warehouse burned, and was inadequately insured for the loss. Kristy & Kananen recovered from the business’s insurance broker and insurance company.*
Wrongful Death
2012 Arbitration Award, Wrongful Death / Medical Malpractice: $151,219
Represented the parents of an infant who died while being treated at a Kaiser Permanente hospital, and whose death could have been prevented.