Areas We Serve

Attorney: Doug Fitz-Simmons, Matthew C. Clark

Summary:

This case involves a five-vehicle rear end accident that occurred in southwest Bakersfield caused by the driver of a speeding company van. Our client was impacted in the crash three times – the first from the rear, the second when her vehicle was pushed into another car, and then a third impact from the rear a few seconds later. She suffered injuries to her neck and back that required surgery. She was also 29 weeks pregnant at the time of the crash.

Attorney: Matthew C. Clark, Chris Hagan

Summary:

Plaintiff was rear-ended by big rig on Interstate 5 near Buttonwillow when the truck driver passed other vehicles in the No. 1 lane, followed too closely, and slammed into the rear of our client’s vehicle. He suffered head, neck, spine, and brain injuries, among others.

Attorney: Beatriz A. Trejo

Summary:

Our client, a carpenter, was working on a roof. At the end of the workday, he had taken off his safety equipment and went back on the roof to get his tool he had forgotten, and fell off the roof. He suffered three skull fractures, and required surgery to his nose and right eye.

Attorney: David K. Cohn

Summary:

On the night of May 7, 2013, David Sal Silva fell asleep in front of a home in east Bakersfield, across from Kern Medical Center. Several law enforcement officers arrived on scene and proceeded to use unreasonable and excessive force in striking Silva with batons several times all over his body, while he screamed for his life and repeatedly begged the officers to stop. After being repeatedly beaten, bitten and hog-tied, Silva stopped breathing. And shortly after midnight, Silva was taken to Kern Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. These events and those that followed after this night made international news, including the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Chain | Cohn | Clark on behalf of Silva’s family in 2013, to the settlement reached in May 2016.

More Information: “The wrongful death case of David Sal Silva”

Attorney: David K. Cohn

Summary:

Plaintiff was beaten to death by more than a dozen Kern County Sheriff’s Department detention deputies.

More Information: News story, “County Settles For $6 Million In Jail Death Lawsuit”

Attorney: Chad J. A. Boyles, Chris Hagan

Summary:

Plaintiff family were on a Polaris RZR off-road vehicle, riding slowly in the Dove Springs area on a dirt trail. As they approached a blind curve, the defendant, also on a Polaris RZR, drove fast around the curve and hit them head on. Injuries to family members included broken ribs, shattered knee and broken foot, and much more.

Attorney: Matthew C. Clark

Summary:

Plaintiff was rear ended by a truck trailer on Highway 138.

Attorney: Matthew C. Clark

Summary:

This case arises out of a motor vehicle collision occurring on October 7, 2013 on State Route 46 in unincorporated Kern County. Plaintiffs were stopped for traffic on Highway 46 when they were rear-ended at a high rate of speed and pushed them into the vehicle in front of them, causing major injuries. The defendant was in the course and scope of his employment with Brinderson, L.P. at the time of the wreck.

Attorney: Doug Fitz-Simmons, Matthew C. Clark

Summary:

Plaintiffs were driving on Highway 166 when they rear-ended a forklift that was traveling 5 mph without and rear taillights. One of the plaintiffs suffered broken bones, while the other died in the crash.

Attorney: Chad J. A. Boyles, David K. Cohn

Summary:

This case arises out of an industrial injury sustained by Plaintiff Salvador Sanchez that occurred on an oil lease owned by Defendants Berry Petroleum Company, LLC and Linn Operating, Inc.

At the time of his injury, Mr. Sanchez was assigned to a tank cleaning crew. In order to clean the tank the crew had to open 1,800-pound manway cover door, During cleaning operations, the cleaning crew would “swing” the manway cover door open or closed. Mr. Sanchez pulled on the bottom of the manway cover door to open it further so as to get a better angle with his high pressure washer. At that point, the eye bolt supporting the 1,800-pound manway cover door failed and the manway cover door fell on Mr. Sanchez causing serious and crushing injuries to his right leg and right knee.

Attorney: Matthew C. Clark

Summary:

Plaintiff was riding a motorcycle when the defendant in a truck that was parked on the side of the road pulled out in front of the motorcyclist. The crash caused the plaintiff to be thrown 50 yards down the road, and suffered severe injuries.

Attorney: Matthew C. Clark, Chris Hagan

Summary:

Our client was riding as a passenger in a sedan when the driver of a Freightliner big rig truck and trailer collided with the car on Highway 46 in an unincorporated area of Kern County. The crash killed our client on impact.

Attorney: David K. Cohn, Tanya D. Alsheikh

Summary:

Chain | Cohn | Clark resolved four cases on behalf of students at North High School who were victims of sexual misconduct by an athletic equipment manager at the school. Kern County Sheriff’s Office had arrested Edwin Rodriguez on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with minors 14 to 15 years old, exhibiting harmful matter to a minor, annoying a child under 18 and false imprisonment.

More information: “Chain | Cohn | Clark resolves several cases involving misconduct at North High School”

Attorney: Doug Fitz-Simmons, Matthew C. Clark

Summary:

Chain | Cohn | Clark filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the family of 72-year-old Nancy Joyce Garrett, who was killed when a Kern County Sheriff’s Office patrol car operated by Deputy Nicholas Clerico struck and killed her.

More Information: Chain | Cohn | Clark files lawsuit for family of woman killed in crash with Sheriff’s deputy

Attorney: Chad J. A. Boyles, Matthew C. Clark, Juan L. Garza

Summary:

Our plaintiff was the driving southbound on Highway 65 approaching Highway 155 north of Bakersfield in rural Kern County when the defendent driving northbound suddenly entered into the southbound lane colliding head-on with the plaintiff. As a result of this collision, the plaintiff sufffered catastrophic personal injuries and his vehicle caught fire. He was trapped inside of the vehicle for a period of time. Injuries included a broken hip, femur, fibula, and ankle.

Attorney: Matthew C. Clark

Summary:

Plaintiff was a passenger in a vehicle that was rear-ended by a van while stopped at a stop sign.

Attorney: Matthew C. Clark, Chris Hagan

Summary:

Our plaintiff was leaving work from Shafter and driving on N. Driver Road and E. Lerdo Highway when the defendant, while in course and scope of his employment with CalTrans, was driving while under the influence. The defendant failed to stop for the red signal light and entered the intersection against the red signal light at about 65mph, and collided with collision the plaintiff, who died in the fiery crash.

Attorney: James A. Yoro

Summary:

The plaintiff was working as a refrigeration technician when he was sprayed in the face with anhydrous ammonia. The employer failed to assure the equipment met manufacturer design specification and was working properly, failed to provide employees with proper safety equipment, and other safety failures, according to the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The injury required multiple surgeries for stem cell transplants and corneal transplants in both eyes.

Attorney: Beatriz A. Trejo, Doug Fitz-Simmons, Matthew C. Clark

Summary:

Employees of the confidential oil company were tasked with removing bolts from a wellhead on an oil lease. After heating the first ram bolt with a torch, the plaintiffs used a wrench to back out the stuck bolt.  At that moment, gas and fluid were propelled out of the bolt hole and caught fire. The plaintiff was severely burned — diagnosed with 70% total body surface area second- and third-degree burns with 56% third-degree or full-thickness burns. They maintained open workers’ compensation claims.

Attorney: David K. Cohn

Summary:

Client had stopped at the stop sign, and among the heavy fog, she did not see any vehicles approaching. As she began to cross the intersection, she collided with defendant’s vehicle, which did not have headlights on, and suffered injuries in the crash.

Attorney: David K. Cohn

Summary:

A 27-year-old man suffered fatal injuries when the defendant crossed a double yellow line while driving and slammed head-on into decedent. Defendant slept 35 minutes in 48 hours.

Attorney: David K. Cohn

Summary:

Plaintiff was stopped when the driver of a truck failed to stop and rear-ended his vehicle.

Attorney: Matthew C. Clark

Summary:

Plaintiff was the mother of a teenage girl who was struck and killed by a drunk driver while she was walking home. The driver was in a company truck at the time of the crash, and fled the scene.

Attorney: David K. Cohn

Summary:

The plaintiff pulled off the side of Highway 58 to take pictures. While doing so, he was hit by a truck and suffered severe brain and bodily injuries.

Attorney: David V. Stiles

Summary:

Plaintiff was walking through a restaurant parking lot when a truck made a U-turn, struck the plaintiff and dragged her a several feet.

Attorney: Chad J. A. Boyles, Matthew C. Clark

Summary:

A disputed liability trucking accident case where the plaintiff suffered a traumatic brain injury. Other details on the case are confidential.