Source: https://www.wfbm.com/meet-our-team/john-a-kaniewski/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 04:20:00+00:00

Document:
John Kaniewski focuses his practice primarily on environmental litigation with an emphasis on asbestos, toxic torts and product liability. He is also involved in general liability matters of all sorts.
Prior to joining the firm, John spent more than 20 years in private practice and several more years as staff counsel for two major commercial liability carriers. John is a highly successful litigator with 40 trials and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), one of the preeminent national organizations for experienced trial lawyers. Many of John’s trials have involved multi-million dollar exposure against some of the top plaintiffs’ attorneys in the country. The subject matter of these trials has been quite varied and includes product liability, premises liability, general negligence, invasion of privacy and slander. John also has substantial experience in construction defect matters where he has represented owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals in mold and traditional damages claims.
Shackles v. Product Manufacturer – Obtained a non-suit during trial for one client, and settled the case favorably as to a related client immediately after the non-suit was granted, in a case involving mesothelioma purportedly caused by work with asbestos-cement pipe.
Fraser v. California Nursery Center Chain – Obtained an extremely nominal settlement in Los Angeles County of a mesothelioma case against a retail seller of lawn fertilizer after a week of trial.
Utech v. Heavy Equipment Manufacturer – Obtained a favorable settlement in Los Angeles County of a mesothelioma case against a heavy equipment manufacturer after cross-examination of the plaintiffs’ industrial hygiene expert.
Livernois v. Livernois – Successfully secured a defense verdict in a slander action.
Martinez-Smith v. Brinker International – Successfully secured a defense verdict in an action alleging burning and personal injury.
Reiner v. Park West Landscape – This was an admitted liability action arising out of an automobile accident. The jury’s verdict was more than $430,000 less than what the plaintiff’s counsel requested from the jury during closing argument and $56,000 less than the final pre-trial settlement offer.
Thomas v. Tovey Construction – Construction accident case, where the plaintiff fell down an elevator shaft, resulted in a net verdict $600,000 below the final pre-trial demand. In addition, the general contractor client obtained full contractual indemnification from the primarily negligent subcontractor co-defendant.
Rodriguez v. Scovill – Successfully secured a defense verdict in a products liability action. The plaintiff, a sheet metal worker, suffered traumatic amputation of three fingers from both hands when a punch press was inadvertently actuated.
Rios v. Scovill – Products liability action that went to trial three separate times. The plaintiff, a sheet metal worker at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, suffered traumatic amputation of fingers from his hand when a punch press was inadvertently actuated. The defendant was the manufacturer of a set of pneumatic valves that functioned as the actuation mechanism for the press. The first trial resulted in a defense verdict on the claim of failure to warn. However, there was a hung jury (8-4 for the defense) on the claim of product defect. On retrial of the product liability theory, a non-suit was granted to the defendant, but that ruling was subsequently overturned on appeal. At the third trial, the jury finally returned a defense verdict.
John is a native Southern Californian. He put himself through college by working as the assistant manager of a racquetball club. John and his wife, Cheryl, have been married for 35 years. Shortly after getting married and while John was in law school, they worked together as Directors of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at a Catholic parish in Orange County. They are both still heavily involved in their parish in many roles, including the choir.
In 2007, John (a bass), Cheryl (an alto), and their daughter, Katie (a second soprano) toured with the choir through Italy where they performed in the Vatican and several cathedrals, as well as in concert with the Vatican Orchestra. John was also a coach on Katie’s travel softball team, which finished second in the state. In their spare time, John and his family spend as much time as possible in the Sierras.

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