Success Stories
1. Mark Cubbison
Mark and his wife were unemployed and homeless. Destitute and desperate, Mark got caught shoplifting a pound of hamburger meat worth $5. A judge imposed a $100 fine, but since Mark couldn’t afford to pay it he was later arrested and sent to L. A. County Jail. During the booking process, Mark – who stood only 5' 4" tall and weighed less than 120 pounds – questioned why he had to submit to a chest x-ray. An irate sheriffs deputy sequestered Mark in a long, narrow hallway with bolted doors on each end of it. But Mark was not alone. Some 45 minutes earlier, this same deputy had placed another inmate in the hallway. This inmate stood about 6' 2", weighed 250 lbs., and had been recently deemed a danger to himself and others by a jail psychologist. Within seconds, the deranged inmate beat Mark into a coma. Mark remains in a permanent vegetative state.
Robert J. Mandell and his trial team used federal civil rights law to circumvent state immunities that would have protected the County and the deputy. Then, during a battle over whether a qualified federal immunity might apply, the County capitulated. The seven figure result provided comfortable care for Mark the rest of his life – and just compensation to his “widow.”
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2. Juan Leyva
Juan never expected his life to go topsy turvy just because he twisted his knee. A devoted husband and father of three, he was working at his job as the lead mechanic in a busy tire shop when he felt a slight twinge in his knee. He went to an orthopedic surgeon who suggested they do a routine arthroscopic procedure to reduce pain and swelling. Juan went into the hospital thinking he’d be out in a day or two. But soon after the surgery, Juan developed “compartment syndrome” in his lower leg which cut off the blood flow to his foot. Although this is a known complication, his doctor was not around to address it – he had left Juan’s post surgical care to others while he went on vacation. The covering doctors failed to recognize the situation until gangrene had set in. Then it was too late. Juan lost all his toes, his Achilles tendon and all functional use of his foot. He spent agonizing months in the hospital and missed many a precious paycheck. He stood to lose his job, his house, everything.
With the help of Robert J. Mandell, Juan received a sizable award which enabled him to take care of his family, even buy a new house. What’s more, some of the money was used to get Juan necessary treatment and prosthetics so that ultimately he was able to return to his job of 18 years and once again become productive. “Mr. Mandell and his staff did a great service to me and my family,” says Juan. “I am eternally grateful to them.”
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3. Morgan W.
He was the quintessential California boy. A star of his high school baseball team and a top golfer in college, Morgan was a people magnet. Men admired him and the ladies adored him. He was quick of wit and generous of spirit. So when he joined his brother-in-law’s film production company as a investment advisor, he was an instant success. To celebrate his good fortune, Morgan bought a new Corvette. As he proudly drove it along a clear avenue in the Valley, another driver suddenly turned left in front of him. Morgan veered to the right where the Vette struck a pole on its passenger side. Unbeknownst to Morgan, the seatbelt he was wearing had been recalled by the manufacturer. It was defective. At the split second of impact, Morgan flew out of his seat to the left, striking his head on the car’s interior. When he came out of the coma, Morgan could barely walk, speak or even think. He remains today with significant neurological and cognitive problems. He will never play baseball or golf, or hold meaningful employment again.
Robert J. Mandell, Esq., teamed up with the Mandell Law Firm’s Mara Burnett and other talented lawyers in a David versus Goliath battle against GM relative to the defective seat belt. Ultimately, the substantial award enabled Morgan to obtain necessary physical and occupational therapy and to live a comfortable, fruitful life. “These lawyers fought hard for my brother,” says Morgan’s sister. “They have the thanks of my entire family.”
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4. Nicholas Echeverria
When he was 15 back in El Salvador, before the killings began, Nicholas Echeverria had a motorcycle accident that left his arm limp and useless. But he overcame his disability with grace and fortitude. He married and raised two wonderful children, Carlos and Lucy. During the late 1980s, when El Salvador became a dark and dangerous place, Nicholas emigrated with his family to the U.S. Years later, Nicholas heard about a promising new medical procedure which could shut off the constant phantom pain in his arm and hand which had grown worse over the years. A famed neurosurgeon agreed to operate on Nicholas. The family was overjoyed. But during the surgery, the doctor accidently cut off the blood supply to a portion of Nicholas’ spinal cord. When he awoke, he had no sensation below his waist. He was paralyzed. For months, Carlos and Lucy took shifts caring for their father, changing him, cleaning and feeding him, taking him to the doctor, with virtually no lives of their own. Their proud father was ashamed and distraught.
Several lawyers turned down the case, intimidated by the task and the doctor’s reputation. Then the family approached Robert J. Mandell of the Mandell Law Firm. He took the case. Some months later, a jury awarded Nicholas nearly $2 million, enough money for Carlos and Lucy to return to their lives and restore their father’s pride. “Attorney after attorney turned us down, but then we found Robert Mandell,” Lucy says. “I will always remember Mr. Mandell for what he did for my father.”
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5. Shelby S.
Nothing could have been more innocent. Four-year-old Shelby held Dan’s hand as they walked from a parking lot to a restaurant to meet her mother on a sunny afternoon. They followed the path as it went beneath an old marquee set on two poles some twenty feet above the ground. Just as they did this, the 1,500-pound sign slammed to the ground, striking Shelby and Dan on the tops of their heads, fracturing their spines. Dan was rendered a paraplegic. Shelby’s injuries healed over time, but that horrifying moment remains lodged in her young mind.
The sign had been neglected for years on end. The rusty chain which held the marquee above the ground simply chose that moment to finally break. Shelby’s family retained the Mandell Law Firm, which ultimately achieved a multiple six figure award for her needs over time. “Dan’s lawyers fought hard because they were going after millions of dollars,” Shelby’s mom says. “But Rob Mandell fought just as hard for Shelby. It was a horrendous accident, and we had so many concerns. Mr. Mandell was kind and caring and never made us feel that Shelby was less important. We will always remember that.”
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