Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP is proud to announce the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) has named David Rudorfer as Trial Lawyer of the Year for 2023. The legal organization pays tribute to distinguished members of the trial bar who have achieved a tremendous jury result coupled with giving back to the legal community, the organization, and consumers in general.
“David’s recognition by the Board is a tremendous accomplishment and a tribute to his hard work and dedication to his clients,” said Brian Panish.
Mr. Rudorfer is recognized by CAALA for his extraordinary work on Jane Doe v. Pasadena Unified School District, a hard-fought case resulting in a landmark $26,000,000 jury verdict in August 2022 for a former Pasadena Unified School District special education student who was sexually assaulted at school by three of her male classmates. Despite significant evidence supporting that the assault occurred, the Pasadena Unified School District denied the attack took place, denied the school district’s negligence, and fought for more than five years to deny plaintiff justice. As a result of the sexual assault, the plaintiff eventually was institutionalized.
At trial, in addition to denying that the sexual assault had occurred, the defense argued that the Plaintiff suffered no damages as a result of the School District’s conduct and that the jury should award her nothing. The jury disagreed and awarded the plaintiff $12,500,000 for her past pain and suffering and $13,500,000 for her future pain and suffering.
Additionally, in May 2023, Mr. Rudorfer obtained a $13,150,000 jury verdict for three family members who were rear-ended by a tractor trailer. Plaintiffs alleged that in the moments before the collision the semi-truck driver had engaged in distracted driving. Defendants disputed liability until trial, and even after admitting liability, contested that the forces of the collision were sufficient to cause the claimed injuries. Prior to and throughout trial, counsel for defendants sought to use the family’s pre-incident medical history to allege their injuries were unrelated to the collision. The jury disagreed and took just two days to deliberate before rendering their verdict for plaintiffs.
Mr. Rudorfer began his legal career at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP, first as a law clerk and then as a plaintiffs’ trial lawyer, representing individuals in personal injury and wrongful death cases since 2007. He has extensive experience handling serious injury cases involving traumatic brain injuries, spine injuries, nerve injuries, paralysis injuries, and amputations as well as any injuries leading to death. Over the course of his career, Mr. Rudorfer has recovered over $500 million for his clients, resolving over 100 cases with seven-figures results, and over 13 cases with eight-figure results.
The CAALA Trial Lawyer of the Year Award will be presented to Mr. Rudorfer on January 27, 2024 at the annual CAALA Gala.