Tort Defense Litigation

Guararra & Zaitz has extensive experience and proven success, from trials to appeals, in the area of tort liability defense. We defend product liability suits on behalf of manufacturers, distributors and sellers, and designers, asserting a variety of product-related claims for personal injury, property damage and breach of warranty, involving household appliances and industrial products like laundry equipment, gas ranges, refrigerators, and printing presses. We also defend general liability cases assigned by insurers on a variety of liability insurance policies, as well as by major corporations that are self-insured, and third-party administrators. Some examples of cases we have handled in this are include:

• Defense verdict, where a potential sustainable verdict was in excess of $3 million, after jury trial in Brooklyn Supreme Court involving allegedly exploding gas range that caused significant burn injuries.

• Directed defense verdict in Suffolk Supreme Court jury trial involving distribution of allegedly defective commercial washing machine that caused personal injuries.

• Defense verdict in Queens Supreme Court jury trial on behalf of private homeowners association in a sidewalk trip and fall case brought by an elderly widow who sustained a severe wrist fracture.

• Summary judgment on warnings and warranty claims in a products suit against a product’s distributor involving a hand crush injury.

• Representation of owners, general contractors, sub-contractors and employers in cases arising from job-site accidents, usually at construction sites, brought under New York Labor Laws.

• Representation of companies in varied industries, including electric and gas public utilities, water companies and telephone companies, in toxic tort and environmental cleanup and exposure cases.  

Our practice in this area also has required us to represent insurers in coverage litigation, declaratory judgment actions, primary/excess disputes, and special arbitrations between insurers.