Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP partner Robert Glassman and attorney Erika Conteras have been recognized as 2023 California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) by the Daily Journal for their work on Sepulveda v. Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District. The CLAY Awards is awarded annually to a select group of attorneys throughout the state “for achievements with a significant impact on public policy, the law, the profession, or a particular practice area.”
Mr. Glassman served as lead counsel in the matter where the plaintiff’s legal team, including Ms. Contreras and co-counsel at The Claypool Law Firm, obtained a $15,750,000 settlement from the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District for the mother of 13-year-old Adilene Carrasco who suffered an asthma attack at school and died as a result of the district’s failure to follow its own safety protocols. This is believed to be the largest asthma-related death settlement in California.
In addition to the monetary settlement and as a condition of the agreement, the district has agreed to partner with area asthma medical experts to provide asthma management training to its teachers and staff, adopt the California School Board Association’s best practices on school-based asthma management as well as implement changes to its existing protocols relating to the safety and supervision of students with medical conditions.
“The client wanted real change, and we saw a great need for improved asthma education,” Mr. Glassman told the Daily Journal in an article featuring the case, adding, “If a case shines a light on a problem, you can take if further.”
As noted in the article, the case has also served as a catalyst for the creation of SB 283 — a bill otherwise known as Adilene’s Law and if passed, would require California schools to implement a comprehensive asthma managment plan.