Mr. Carpenter works without rest to negate the fallacy so prevalent in our society; that injured parties are looking for a jackpot. In recent years, corporate entities and insurance companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars falsely educating the public, falsifying valid claims, denying the suffering of the seriously injured. Mr. Carpenter has watched the climate grow more difficult for clients seeking just compensation. It is for these reasons that he works so fervently, helping those who are injured, marginalized, or cast aside.

If you are injured, you are thrust into a situation where you need help. You cannot do it alone. You need the counsel of an accomplished attorney. John Carpenter has worked tirelessly over fourteen years taking difficult cases to trial and recovering six and seven figure restitutions for his clients.

Taking time off work because of pain and doctors visits is hassling, and you often don’t have access specialists. Those with little or no insurance are facing astronomic costs. John Carpenter works with the most trusted doctors in the Los Angeles medical community, facilitating your care and connecting you with the appropriate medical expert.

By design, insurance companies make it extremely difficult to get proper medical care. Health insurance companies don’t build their corporate empires by giving out money to those injured in accidents. They grow by denying claims, even to those who are well insured. That’s why it is critical to obtain expert representation when injured. You are not alone. John Carpenter has the knowledge and the courage to stand up for what is rightfully owed to you. Compensation for an injury is not greed, it is fair.

Standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, Mr. Carpenter has represented children victimized by sexual abuse, children with disabilities, and persons discriminated against because of their race, disability, gender, or sexual orientation.

A pinnacle case in Mr. Carpenter’s career was his representation of a mentally disabled homeless person, run over by garbage truck and left to die. Even with life threatening injuries the police didn’t care enough to make a police report. Taking care of the police investigation on their own, performing a stake out, fighting with the insurance companies who refused compensation, Mr. Carpenter not only won the case in trial, but ensured that his client did not abuse or squander his compensation. Not satisfied setting up a mentally disabled man to later fend for himself, he obtained a revocable conservative trust, ensuring that the system would not abuse his client. These are the lengths John Carpenter and the entire legal team at Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP go to.

While the several multimillion dollar verdicts and tens of millions of dollars in settlements have made Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP one of the most respected firms in Los Angeles, what keeps them in vigorous pursuit is the goal to achieve balance in the scales of justice for the individual.

John Carpenter was selected as a Top 100 Los Angeles Trial Lawyer. He received his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law in 1991 and his Bachelor’s Degree in economics from UCLA. He enjoys sailing, surfing and skiing.

Zuckerman grew up in Long Island, NY as the youngest son of a self-made man who himself had worked odd jobs to help his struggling family survive the Depression, served in World War II and eventually became a doctor.   Despite his professional and financial success, the elder Zuckerman shunned the trappings of privilege, and insisted that his children discover  their own strengths and passions by doing hard jobs among real people.

At only 13, at the urging of his father, Zuckerman took a job as a dishwasher in a local Chinese restaurant.  The owner was skeptical that a doctor’s son  — one who didn’t really need the job – would have the necessary work ethic.  But Zuckerman quickly proved himself.  He found that he loved the camaraderie of his fellow kitchen workers.  They were honest, genuine, hard working, optimistic, empathic, loyal and true to their word.  He looked forward to going to work.

Through high school, college at the University of Southern California, and Southwestern Law School, Zuckerman worked in a series of similar jobs.  At turns he was a busboy, a waiter, a door-to-door salesman, a flea market merchant, and a cold caller.  He loved interacting with his co-workers and customers.

In 1991, Zuckerman graduated law school near the top of his class, and passed the California bar on his first attempt.  Soon thereafter, he took his first “professional” job with an insurance company.  Zuckerman approached the job with optimism, believing the company’s advertised assertions that it would be there to help when needed.

Zuckerman thought he would be helping injured people receive fair compensation, but he soon discovered that his efforts were padding the pockets of his employer, not helping the injured clients – many of whom had faithfully paid premiums for years.

Zuckerman was great in the role, but hated himself for doing it, and felt he was betraying the values his father had instilled in him.   Furthermore, he loathed beating up on people like his fellow dishwashers.   After only three years, dispirited by the job and the death of his father, Zuckerman quit the insurance company, vowing to return to the core values his father had taught him.

With a law school classmate, Zuckerman founded a new law firm.  They agreed the firm would only represent injured people – not corporations.  The firm would serve its clients and their best interests, recognizing the difficulties and challenges that face them.

Zuckerman and his partner also vowed to recognize that insurance companies treat people unfairly and fail to keep promises.  Most importantly, this firm would be a best friend to injured people, working to secure for them the fair compensation to which they are entitled.

And for more than 15 years, that is what Zuckerman and his law firm have done.  They have recovered tens of millions of dollars for injured people who otherwise could not get a fair shake.

In 2004, Zuckerman represented a homeless drug addict who was run over by a garbage truck while sleeping in an alley.  The truck fled the scene and the police refused to investigate.  Zuckerman and his firm demanded that the garbage company’s insurer compensate the homeless man who had lost his leg.    The insurance company refused, and even claimed that the garbage truck had not been present at the accident.   The company refused to settle, believing no lawyer would spend hundreds of hours fighting for a drug addicted homeless person.

The insurance company was wrong.   Zuckerman and his firm conducted their own investigation.  The firm hired experts to reconstruct the accident and to perform paint-chip analysis to prove the garbage truck was at the scene.  The firm placed the client in a drug rehabilitation program, helped him develop work skills, and arranged for him to receive medical care for his injuries.

When the insurance company still refused to settle the case, Zuckerman and his firm took the case to trial.  The firm helped the jury to see the homeless client as a person deserving of compassion, and as a result awarded him more than $2,000,000.  Today, the once homeless client is clean and sober, has an apartment, a job, and assists a Los Angeles mission in helping other homeless men and women get off the street.

Years later, however, insurance companies continue to deny injured people their fair compensation.  Paul Zuckerman and his firm stand ready to work hard for justice on their behalf.

If you are hurt due to a vehicle accident or another personal injury, you should not endure tribulations of dealing with insurance companies and other drivers by yourself. You need the help of a Los Angeles injury lawyer who can get results. Mr. Zuckerman is qualified and has the experience you need to get the compensation you have coming to you.

Attorney Rowley was born in a farm town in Iowa to a blue-collar family. When he turned seven, the family moved to a border town in Arizona where Mr. Rowley was the only non-Mexican in school. Here, Nicholas learned about life the hard way as he was bullied unmercifully. Around this time, his parents divorced, he moved back to Iowa with is mother, and then he split his time between his mother and father.

Eager to be on his own, he moved out when he was only 15 years old and immediately saw improvement in his life. He attended an alternative school where he could apply his high intellectual aptitude at his own pace. He graduated from high school at the ripe age of 16, and did very well on his ACT and ASVAB.

Upon the urging of this stepfather, he joined the military when he was 17 years old. He excelled in the military, and took up medicine. He served six years in the military as a combat medic accumulating the knowledge that would prepare him later for his career in Medical Malpractice, Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injuries, Wrongful Death, Pharmaceutical Cases and more.

So advanced intellectually, he completed his liberal arts degree while in the military at the tender age of 19, obtaining a degree in Liberal Arts, Allied Health Services, Psychology, and Social Psychology. Nicholas then extended his military obligation to enable him to pursue his Masters Degree in Sociology at the University of North Dakota for one year, after which he entered law school at the age of 20 when most other students were still pursuing their Bachelor’s Degree. Mr. Rowley passed the California Bar on his first attempt graduating in the top of his class repeating the academic success he achieved in the military.

Nicholas then began his career with an insurance company as a civil defense attorney where he became increasingly disillusioned representing the rich companies against the poor, victimized defendants. After a year, Rowley turned his back on materialism, and vowed to represent the real people drawing on his childhood where he learned how to fight for his rights. To him, money and fame is nothing compared to helping a life.

Today, his philosophy reflects his fascinating past. Nicholas, like the other Los Angeles Injury attorneys of Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP , believe that it is not until he truly knows and cares about a person that he can represent them and look a jury in the eye. He has to fall in love with is clients in order to win and understand them, and feel what they feel. This empathetic nature fits right in with the mission of Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP.

Not only his past but also his adult life marks this man of character. Rowley and his wife lost a child due to medical malpractice, which put his career in perspective. He realized there is more to life than work. Still married, he adores his six boys, and lives life to the fullest. Today, he can be seen motoring on his Harley in a t-shirt and jeans and volunteering as a Trial Skills Instructor at Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College in Dubois, Wyoming, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to train trial lawyers who represent the working people of our country. Contact Mr. Rowley for a consultation when you want a real lawyer.

The scales of justice sitting on Ms. Klein’s desk serves as a constant reminder of the importance of balance. She understands that those who are seriously injured are experiencing an extreme imbalance in their lives – through physical pain, the loss of work, the loss of dignity, and the overwhelming costs of medical care, their predicament is seemingly bleak. However, Candice Klein also knows there is help. With her successful litigation experience and her compassion for her clients, she wins cases in a climate that is increasingly difficult for the injured. Ms. Klein litigates and goes to trial to recover the necessary compensation for her clients, not settling in an effort to take the easy way out. Ms. Klein’s tenacity and expertise yield in her clients receiving proper compensation.

Through her years of experience in personal injury, sexual harassment, discrimination, and entertainment law, she welcomes the challenge of any case and will not rest until her client has recovered what is fair. Connecting those injured with the best medical care, tough with the insurance companies unwilling to pay, and thorough from inception of the case to trial, she makes certain all her clients’ needs are met. Candice Klein is committed to balancing the scales for those individuals who have suffered serious injury, prejudice, intolerance or negligence.

Candice Klein received her Bachelor’s in Political Science from The University of California, Irvine in 1994 and her Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law in 1997. She is admitted to The California Bar and The United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Mr. Mazza has successfully argued in front of the California Supreme Court, which awarded damages to his clients, a family of five injured on a Los Angeles bus route. The driver negligently failed to take steps to prevent the incident while one of his clients, pregnant at the time, was hit in the head with a skateboard. The others were battered, while the driver did nothing. His successful verdict yielded not only in financial restitution, but ensured liability for the bus service and thus safer commutes in the heavy crime areas of Los Angeles in the 1980’s.

Much has changed since Steven Mazza started practicing in the 80’s. The climate has turned from pro consumer, to pro business. Insurance companies have spent billions of dollars brainwashing citizens about personal injury firms. Obtaining legal counsel with Mr. Mazza’s level of expertise is even more of a necessity.

Steve Mazza’s unwavering passion and enthusiasm to zealously represent the plaintiff is why he doesn’t consider his job work. There is no one who will give your case as much attention and care. There is no obstacle or adversity standing in the way of his clients obtaining the medical care and compensation they are owed.

Steven Mazza received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Florida and his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law, in the two year accelerated program.

Larry Litzky acts not only as an attorney, but also as a counselor. He understands that if you are seeking legal aid for a serious injury, you are in an extreme predicament. Even a seemingly simple case can often have complex issues that need addressing. Through his many years as Of Counsel at some of the most respected firms in Los Angeles, Mr. Litzky knows how to make your journey easier.

Mr. Litzky has seen the corporate climate change. The insurance companies have gone from fiscally conservative to unreasonably conservative. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to seek legal counsel. Even if you have the ability to prove your case in a sufficient manner, without expert representation many insurance companies and corporate entities will typically make settlement offers that are insufficient to cover the cost of your medical treatment.

It is for these reasons Larry Litzky is gratified to work at Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP, where the firm culture is to fight for the client and take the case to trial when necessary. Mr. Litzky knows how rare it is to find lawyers so thorough, who fight vigorously for their clients. Going far beyond other personal injury and civil litigation firms in Southern California, every client benefits from the pool of talent comprised by the attorneys’ combined experience.

Larry Litzky received his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law in 1991. An accomplished musician and performer, he received his Bachelor’s in Music from the University of Miami School of Music in Coral Gables, Florida in 1988.

Lead Counsel: Nicholas C. Rowley of Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP and Trial Lawyers for Justice.  Nick was recently lead trial counsel in a traumatic brain injury case in Kern County California which resulted in a record jury verdict of $31,600,000.

Co Counsel: Jeffrey Greenman, Alejandro Blanco, and Finlay Boag of Trial Lawyers for Justice.

Focus Group Consultant: Ed Semansky.

Mediation Video: by Patrick Logan patrick@buckyboy.com

Mediator: Peter Searle, Judicate West, Santa Ana, California.

Defense Counsel: Gary Ottoson

Insurer: Travelers Insurance Company, Claudia Tiger

Plaintiffs Experts: Lewis Barbe, safety engineer, Lester Zackler, M.D. neuropsychiatrist, Jeffrey Schaeffer, PhD neuropsychologist, Ronald Fisk, M.D. neurologist, Charles Furst, PhD neuropsychologist, Barry Pressman, M.D., neuroradiologist, Frank Moser, M.D., neuroradiologist, David Fish, M.D., Physiatry.

Defense Experts : Barry Ludwig, M.D., Neurologist UCLA and Dean Dellis, PhD neuropsychologist University of San Diego.

Facts

In July 2008 Mrs. Greer was staying in a California Hotel, having traveled for business. She responsibly had a few drinks in the hotel bar and went up to her room. It was a nice evening so she opened the sliding glass door. On the other side of the door is a balcony railing. She leaned on the railing and it gave way. She fell four stories. She was in and out of consciousness when the ambulance arrived, suffering multiple fractures and a moderate traumatic brain injury. She was hospitalized at Cedars Sinai, her husband Wayne flew out from Toronto not knowing whether she was dead or alive. Miraculously, she not only survived but recovered to the point of being off pain medication, and being able to walk and talk and drive and she appears to anybody who did not know her, to not be injured at all. Her recovery is a miracle and that was the defense. Plaintiff and defense neuropsychological testing showed mild deficits and a miraculous recovery. SO, why would a jury, in this economy, give a significant verdict to a person who looks so normal? Furthermore, the medical bills were paid by the Canadian Healthcare System and reduced to around $300K. What would the value be for such a “case”. It was the Plaintiff’s team that came together and developed the story which showed the insurer why going to trial was a substantial risk. The contribution was equal by each Jeff Greenman, Nick Rowley, Finlay Boag and the rest of the team. Also, it is important to honor the defense lawyer in this case Gary Ottoson and the Insurance Representative Claudia Tiger who were and are hard working fair human beings who worked very hard to do what was right and who took the time to listen to the story and see beyond the standard criteria that are customarily used value a case.

Words cannot describe how helpful and understanding the Mediator Peter Searle was.

Developing The Story

Brain injury can be hard to understand by looking at neuropsych tests and medical bills. You can have a case that has $50K in medical bills but which can be worth so much more. Jeff Greenman, a brand new lawyer and new lawyer to the firm, who had never done a trial, brought in the case by referral from a friend. Jeff was new, young, and unspoiled, very nervous and inexperienced but full of energy and passion. While many lawyers would not entrust such a potentially significant case to a young lawyer, in other words would let him bring the case in the door and put him behind the scenes, Jeff was told to handle this case as if you are going to try it yourself and there is no better way to learn how to be a lawyer than with a good case. I told Jeff what I was told “treat your clients as your family”. I told Jeff that this was an opportunity to show what us young lawyers can do and an opportunity to really change lives”, “This is what you became a lawyer for, to help people during the worst of times, follow your heart and dive right in”. I saw myself in Jeff, it was not long ago that I was a young kid who did not have trials and record wins under my belt. I am saying all of this because I hope this case sets a model for others fighting this battle, and to spread what my mentors have taught me which is : “Jeff, spend time with these clients, fall in love with them, make it real, don’t think about experience, just be yourself, don’t think about money, be there as a friend and not as a left brain lawyer”. “Someday we’ll have to figure out what this case is worth and in order to do that we must live and breathe it side by side with them.” Jeff did just that, and shed his law school teachings of “don’t get personally involved, stay objective….. etc.” Jeff spent day after day with in the hospital with the clients, Mr. and Mrs. Greer. Jeff became part of Mr. and Mrs. Greer’s recovery, part of their life, understanding everything they went through. He held her hand as she took her first steps in the hospital. He was often side by side with Wayne late hours of the night at the hospital. Mrs. Greer was a fighter, marathon runner, outgoing, full of life and energy, and she was committed to her recovery. Her husband quit his business and became her full time coach. We made the choice to file the case immediately. No demands, no bologna, just get right into the fight. Almost immediately, the Canadian Healthcare System wanted Mrs. Greer back to a more affordable place than Cedars. They pushed to get her transferred, and pretty quickly Mrs. Greer’s care was transitioned to Canada. This presented a problem, number one with special damages, and number two because the socialized medicine system has it’s limitations. It became obvious that Mrs. Greer was going to end up not having a the recovery she hoped for. And, the early records were not helpful, it was obvious that the medical providers were directing the “diagnosis and prognosis” to throwing Mrs. Greer back into society without a full recovery. Instead of letting this happen and then later coming back with a more permanently damaged plaintiff “possibly increasing the value of the case as some might think, the money was spent to get a team put together to help Mrs. Greer achieve the maximum recovery possible.” This is where the Plaintiffs experts got involved and it was a risk because of the standard defense of “Attorney Directed Medicine”. Furthermore, each of the experts had worked on similar cases with me, Nick Rowley before, and there was the risk that the defense would try to make it ugly. We went with what was right for Mrs. Greer. And, the reality is that each of these are people I trust. People I trust to tell me when I am wrong and people who would do what is best for the patient. I was comfortable standing in front of a jury and telling them that the reason why I hired the experts was because I know them to each be hardworking human beings that shoot straight and who I would choose as my doctors if I ever needed the best for my family or me. Also, I always explain how proud I am of what they have done for other people who are hurt and being tossed to the curb. We handled this case, every step of the way, as if we would be standing in front of a jury. All experts were asked to act as treating medical providers and to work with the Canadian Health Care providers to develop a plan to get Mrs. Greer as better as possible. We did not want the defense to be able to say, nor did we want the dishonesty within us of making the case look worse and the recovery process futile, we wanted to make sure we did everything possible to get Mrs. Greer better. The arguable problem is that it actually worked! That was okay though, it is what we wanted, we personally feel and know that juries love heroes, those who persevere, who overcome obstacles. Jurors do not connect with the “mommy mommy story” anymore, that is a mistake that many lawyers make, which is “look how bad this is, look how ugly this is, please help me”. We take the approach that finding the beauty and the strength and the perseverance is much more persuasive. Jeff and I spent time with Mrs. and Mrs. Greer at their home in Canada, in taking drives and weekend vacations with them in California, going to medical appointments, therapy sessions, being part of team meetings with medical providers. We took the position from day one that we would not mediate the case and were going to settle. To give it a shot, we made a demand for $27M and sent a very detailed letter setting the scene and telling an actual story (wrote a short novel) with photographs and exhibits about 9 months ago, we sent this to the head of claims, the board of directors, and told the story of Mr. and Mrs. Greer’s lives and how the injuries were permanent. The Insurer did not respond.

We were informed not only by the defense but also people we know that we were crazy, as our Plaintiff looked perfect and was recovered. We knew there would be a dispute in liability and that we were out of our mind in terms of the value of the case. Finlay Boag, a lawyer partner and fellow trial lawyer and jury consultant, got involved with the case. The defense noticed Mrs. Greer’s deposition and the fear set in that she would present as being normal. Finlay, Alejandro, and Ed Semansky worked to discover the human story and prepare the clients for their depositions for 4 full days. Finlay and I represented both Plaintiffs at the depositions and the story was told. We explained to defense counsel how Finlay and I would be representing one of the Plaintiffs at trial with separate voir dire, openings, and closings. Finlay, whose wife has been very ill for many years, was able to relate to Wayne, he was going to ask for over $10,000,000 on the loss of consortium and explained how it would be a record result and devastating for the defense. Something sweet to mention is how Mrs. Greer kissed one of Finlay’s gray hairs on the top of his head telling him how she is happy to have Grey hair as part of her team (in other words pointing out that there is somebody who has been around longer than Jeff and I). Bringing Finlay on board very important to get Wayne his own representation and to bring comfort to the clients because at the end of the day Jeff and I look very young. Gary Ottoson and Claudia Tiger were present at the depos. Mr. Ottoson was so kind and understanding and at the end of the deposition we were asked to mediate. This is when I sat down with the “money decisionmaker Mrs. Tiger” and explained nicely how we would not mediate without a $10M offer. This was unheard of I was told by many. I believe I was told by the defense that they had never done that but would “communicate it” and get back to me. I explained how the settlement train would leave the station very soon and I meant it. Trial was set for September and we refused to mediate past May.

We set a mediation date for June 1st with the understanding that it would be taken off calendar if the $10M offer was not made and with the understanding that it was just an opening bid. Finlay hired Patrick Logan and they flew up to Toronto and traveled throughout California and did videotaped interviews of family members, experts, medical providers. What was put together was our entire case in a one hour fifteen minute video. I watched the video and decided I did not want it in the defense’s hands to scrutinize and would take the approach of showing it only to the insurance company representative (money decision maker) alone in the room. We sent the video to Peter Searle in advance and made a 998 statutory offer for $19,999,999 for Mrs. Greer and $3,000,000 for Mr. Greer. The $10M was offered by the Insurer 10 days before mediation when I called to take it off calendar and we agreed to extend our statutory offers through mediation day June 1st.

At mediation I spent many hours, approximately 6 hours alone in a room, one on one with Claudia Tiger. I did not want the defense lawyers hearing my opening statement and plans. Gary Ottoson had ordered transcripts of entire trials on cases I have tried and was studying me. He is a worthy opponent and I was working hard to do something which he could not calculate.

In the room with Mrs. Tiger, I started out by explaining how I did not like mediations because it is a process based on people lying to each other and how I would take a risk to be brutally honest if she would do the same. We worked together politely, watching the video and working together very hard to come up with a resolution. We agreed to keep everything in the room said between us private. This was as a result of having worked with my dear friend and mentor Joey Low the day before on how to approach the mediation and I give him credit for helping me get to a place within myself where I could do what was best for my clients. Joey spent 4 hours with me the day before preparing and he hates mediations as much as I do. Thanks to Joey I was able to connect and talk openly with Ms. Tiger, a person whose job it is to beat us down into taking the least amount possible. She did her job by saving her clients a lot of money I believe, and was ablet to do so because she connected and ended up working for Mr. and Mrs. Greer and convincing others to get the case resolved. Whether she is this way all the time or not I do not know, but what I experienced was a hardworking caring human being who worked hard for two people who deserved justice. Mrs. Tiger and I both expressed our fears and how we felt about the case, how we felt about frivolous lawsuits and frivolous defenses. Although we are on opposite sides of this war we fight, we were both honest and straightforward, with no game playing, we found a common ground of humanity. It is weird to even say that but it is the truth. The honesty and humanity between us and everybody else involved is how the case settled. Had we postured and let our egos speak we would have never resolved the case. The maximum authority she had brought was what I had expected, and was not anywhere near resolving the case. They wanted a second session of the mediation but I refused. After she watched the video Pat and Finlay put together phone conferences were held and we worked until 10 p.m. I saw her react as a person to the video and she was touched. There was a lot of nodding of the head and I even saw her care, maybe even tear up. Peter Searle was in and out directing us and keeping us on track. He talked sense into both of us and was the best mediator I have ever experienced. I actually dislike the whole process but this time we agreed we would do it based on honesty and no b.s. The issue of high-low was proposed and I took the position that I would prefer that and go to trial but that the low would be payable immediately as an undisputed amount, since it is a guarantee, and undisputed, under the Insurance Code it is due immediately. This was something I learned from my partner Alejandro Blanco who was also instrumental in the case and who mentors me on every case I am on.

Jeff stayed with the clients who we kept out of sight from the defense. We refused to bring them into the mediation offices until we had resolved the case. Jeff, the clients, and Irene Calderon (the structured settlement consultant we chose) worked on numbers throughout the day so that Mr. and Mrs. Greer could plan their life. At the end of the day it was worked out.

The case resolved for $17,000,000 at 10 p.m. We started at 9:30 a.m. and did not break for lunch.

Handling Damages

We did not do a mediation brief. The video is what we sent to the mediator and we had already sent our very long demand months before. I explained how the issue of case value is what based on what the equal trade dollar value is (ET$V) of each and every separate item of life that was negligently taken away, that is “reasonable compensation”. Reasonable compensation is not anything less than ET$V. Anything less than Full ET$V is an injustice. We refused to go back and forth with the defense arguing about the life care plan which in present value totaled $3M but which was of course disputed by the defense. We focused on non-economic harms, on the permanent difference in the lives of two beautiful people. I was able to tell stories about Mr. and Mrs. Greer because we had lived and breathed with them and loved them as family. Throughout the day I politely and lovingly demonstrated some of my opening statement on damages, and what was most persuasive was something I learned from my friend and mentor Jude Basile involving a briefcase full of money and my ET$V formula on non-economic damages intertwined with stories about Mr. and Mrs. Greer. ET$V was the focus and I intertwined it with the jury instructions and explained how the case was worth much more than we were willing to settle for and why a jury would give it to us. I refused to allow the defense to bring a structured settlement person and told them that if they did or presented any structured offers to my clients that we would leave. I told them this in advance.

Conclusion

I was ready to try the case, wanted to try the case. I was to represent Mrs. Greer and Finlay was going to represent Mr. Greer on the loss of consortium. We were all committed. Sometimes there is justice in settlement.

Gary’s concentration at Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP is research and writing. He is a member of the State Bar of California and has been admitted to the United States District Court, Central District of California, and the United States Supreme Court. Gary’s knowledge and invaluable experience are a critical component to the Carpenter & Zuckerman team.

While Gary has worked at a handful of diverse law firms during his career, he enjoys the collaborative atmosphere at Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP as well as the attorneys’ accessibility to the clients. Through his experience, Gary knows this type of accessibility and communication between lawyers and clients is necessary to succeed in court. Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP attorneys have also made the wise decision to support cases with the necessary resources, another main contributor to the firm’s success.

Gary earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan in 1973 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California in 1976. He is an avid runner and car enthusiast, and he enjoys traveling to New York several times a year.

Mr. Ounjian spent four years in Medical Malpractice defense at Bonne Bridges, Mueller, O’Keefe & Nichols, litigating the most complex of medical issues. The following four years he worked on the plaintiff’s side at The Law Offices of Carl McMahan, recovering six and seven figure restitution for his catastrophically injured clients.

His cases have ranged from nursing home neglect, elder abuse, products liability, government tort liability, premises liability, construction site accidents, negligent school supervision, and automobile accidents. If you have been injured, assaulted, neglected or discriminated against, Mr. Ounjian has the expertise necessary for you to obtain the appropriate restitution.

Robert Ounjian received his Bachelor’s Degree in philosophy from The University of California Irvine in 1997 and his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law School in 2000. He is a member of The Los Angles County Bar Association, The Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angles, and the Armenian Bar Association. He speaks fluent Armenian, is a sports enthusiast, and is a loving husband, and father of one son.