Paul L. Stritmatter
CASE ARCHIVE
Product Liability
Smith, et. al. v. Behr Process Corporation
$67.5 million class action verdict
Paul learned that several Western Washington homeowners and business people had mildew on their exterior wood walls after using a Behr clear coating, a product the manufacturer claimed would prevent mildew growth. Paul pulled together the class-action case on behalf of nine plaintiffs, and Behr was charged with breach of warranty and Consumer Protection Act violations. The initial case grew to national status, and in an October 2002 settlement, Behr agreed to compensate consumers more than $107 million. In addition, some 5,000 Western Washington homeowners shared an additional $55 million to repair their mildew-damaged homes.
Stanton v. LeMay
$2,700,000 settlement in 2008 for the deaths of two minor children who were passengers in a vehicle that rear-ended a recycling truck without proper under-ride protection guard stopped in the roadway.
Brown v. Yamaha
$10 million verdict
Teenager Shawn Hejna wasn't able to stop the motorcycle he was riding because of a stuck throttle. He crashed and suffered damages rendering him a spastic quadriplegic. The 1983 jury award stood for 11 years as the largest personal injury verdict in Washington state.
Mazzei v. Industrial Seating, Inc.
$2,518,030 verdict
Product liability case in Grays Harbor County on behalf of a 37 year old worker, who herniated a disc in his back, resulting in a failed back syndrome.
Highway Design / Negligence
Julie Ann Greene v. Pierce County
$5.47 million verdict
Pierce County failed to have a stop sign at a railroad crossing, and drivers' visibility was obstructed by shrubs and buildings. The result: a collision between an oncoming train and a car crossing the tracks. The car's driver was killed and the passenger suffered a head injury and was blinded. The 1994 decision was the second-largest personal injury jury verdict in Pierce County history.
Mesothelioma
Jane Doe v. XYZ Corporation
$1,600,000 settlement in 2008 for mesothelioma in an asbestos case involving a 42 year old woman.
