Last Fall, I announced the Dolan Law Firm Justice Empowerment Scholarship for college students. The purpose of the scholarship is to encourage young people to advance the cause of social justice. Scholarship applicants were required to produce and post on YouTube a short video on the topic of justice. You can see the student videos at dolanlawfirm.com/about-us/scholarship.
On Monday, March 27, 2017, a three-story transitional housing building near downtown Oakland was destroyed by a massive fire. Four persons were killed. Four others were hospitalized with smoke inhalation, but were expected to be released. The fire started on the top floor of the building located at 2551 San Pablo Avenue in West Oakland. Fire inspectors reportedly found 11 glaring safety violations just three days earlier.
My column last week addressing a question by a woman whose father fell and broke his hip at a supermarket triggered additional questions from readers. Brett in the East Bay asks whether you can bring a lawsuit for injuring yourself walking on an uneven sidewalk.
Christopher Dolan, founder and lead trial counsel at the Dolan Law Firm, announced today that Fátima Casas, an undergraduate student at the University of California at Berkeley, has been selected as the winner of the inaugural Dolan Law Firm Justice Empowerment Scholarship. The firm awarded Casas a $2,500 scholarship.
Paula in the Sunset District of San Francisco writes: “My father was shopping at his neighborhood supermarket last month. It’s one of the national brands. He had to use the restroom, which was in the rear of the supermarket off a hallway that led to the stock area. As he followed the signs to the restroom, he slipped and fell. He is 82 years old and broke his right hip, which required surgery. He is now recovering in a rehabilitation facility. My father does not remember why he fell.
Another shopper was exiting the restroom as he fell. He helped my father and gave him his phone number. I called and thanked him for his assistance. The shopper said there were smashed strawberries on the floor near where my father fell. The event has turned my father’s life upside down. He has difficulty concentrating and is depressed, and his recovery will take months. He has Medicare but is receiving bills. He is on a very tight, fixed income. What can I do to help him?”
Bao from Union City writes, “Chris, I got into a car accident last week and broke two ribs. My sister was with me and she suffered a concussion. The other driver ran a red light and hit us. I was driving my sister’s car which was totaled. I found out after the crash that my sister doesn’t have insurance. The agent for the driver who hit us says since the car was not insured he doesn’t have to pay for my injuries. I have my own car insurance policy. What should I do?”
Attorney Chris Dolan will be speaking this week at the New Lawyers Division Conference hosted by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association at Lake Tahoe. Chris will speak on the topic of trying an individual whistleblower action before a jury, sharing best practices and ways to counter defense arguments. Last Fall, Chris and co-counsel Anne Costin obtained a $20 million verdict in whistleblower and wrongful termination case of Williams v. Wyndham Vacation Ownership.
Recognized as one of the top trial lawyers in California, Chris speaks throughout the year at conferences in California and across the nation instructing lawyers on the techniques and skills necessary for successful trial advocacy.
The San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association has named Chris Dolan and Anne Costin as finalists for its 2017 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award. The award winner will be announced on April 6, 2017, at a dinner in San Francisco.
Maria from San Francisco writes, “Chris, Susan Fowler’s account of her harassment at Uber seems far too typical of what women in tech experience. Why is it that so many women in tech are discriminated against? What should we do?”
Thank you Maria for your timely question. For those not aware, on February 19, 2017, Susan Fowler alleged in a detailed and lengthy account on her personal blog that she had been discriminated against and sexually harassed by her direct supervisor when she worked as a software engineer at Uber.