Wrongful Death Attorneys
View Our Landmark Wrongful Death Cases 
A wrongful death — one that was caused by someone else’s unlawful actions — is especially hard for the families who must carry on. Losing a loved one results in more than just the emotional impact; families must also contend with loss of income, loss of help, and costs related to the death. If you are considering legal action related to a wrongful death, the experienced Los Angeles lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle can help you navigate the legal system and get the best results during a time that can be difficult.
Results the firm has obtained for families affected by a wrongful death include:
- Sherman v. Courrege, in which Brian Panish won a $25.5 million jury verdict for the survivors of a family of three killed by a drunk driver.
- Sorenson v. Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway, a case arising out of the head-on collision between a commuter train and a freight train. The elderly parents of a 48-year-old man killed on the commuter train recovered $2.8 million in a jury verdict won by Kevin Boyle and Brian Panish.
- Doe v. Manufacturer, a case in which a 15-passenger van rolled over, causing a fire that killed several occupants and severely burned others. This case settled for a confidential but major amount.
Attorneys from Panish Shea & Boyle write and speak frequently as experts on wrongful death and other consumer law topics. Kevin Boyle has written on manufacturers’ duties to retrofit defective products before they cause further injury.
Wrongful Death Verdicts & Settlements
- Dominguez v. City and County of San Francisco $27,394,567
- Sherman v. Courrege $25,500,000
- Barber v. Mossy Ford $22,765,864
- Wu v. Singapore Airlines $15,000,000
Wrongful Death verdict in crash of Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400 which attempted to take off on a closed runway during Typhoon Xangsane, the plane crashed and the fuselage broke into three sections, killing 82 people and injuring 169 others. Only one case from the crash was tried to jury verdict, and that family was represented by Brian Panish and Kevin Boyle.
- Witham v. Avjet $11,000,000
Wrongful death in a charter jet crash in Aspen. This was the only case from the crash to go to trial. Brian Panish and Kevin Boyle tried the case and the jury found that punitive damages were warranted. The case settled for a confidential amount before the punitive damages phase of the trial.
- Rastello v. City of Torrance $8,000,000
- Vega Family v. Verizon $7,000,000
- Fodor v. Does $6,000,000
- Vasquez v. Doe Oil Refinery $6,000,000
- Teraberanyans v. Browning Ferris $4,500,000
- Doe v. North Bay $3,950,000
- Griffiths v. Dole $2,750,000
- Colmenares v. Doe $2,750,000
- Hathaway v. Allstate $2,600,000
- Acosta v. Alsco $2,200,000
- Custodio v. O’Sullivan Construction $1,800,000
- Bye v. Lousiana Pacific $1,500,000
- Altman v. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) $1,500,000
- Poulos v. Long Beach Transit (LBT) $1,200,000
- Karavani v. Reddick $1,200,000
- Watt v. Long $1,100,000
