Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend Cases

Summary

A California state court jury has cleared Costco and other companies of any liability for the death of an 89-year-old woman whose children sought $18 million after she allegedly contracted hepatitis A from eating a frozen berry blend they claimed purchased from the store.

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Outcome

Verdict for the defense

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Estate of Virginia Jolson
Defense: Townsend Farms
Goknur

Judge: John Wiley
Jurisdiction: Superior Court of California, Los Angeles
Court: Central Civil West Courthouse

Case Number: JCCP4812
Industry: Retail, Food
Practice Area: Products Liability

Plaintiff

Estate of Virginia Jolson

Defense

Townsend Farms

Represented By:
Kuwana, Eric (Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP)

Defense

Goknur

Represented By:
Martinez, Damian (LTL Attorneys LLP )

Expert Witnesses

Lay Witnesses

Sessions

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

4 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Klein, Brian	In Person
00:48:41	Break
01:02:13	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Klein, Brian	In Person
01:27:18	End of Session

AM Session

Openings

6 Chapters

OCT

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Klein, Brian	In Person
01:05:31	Break
01:25:51	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Klein, Brian	In Person
02:25:38	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Klein, Brian	In Person
02:39:59	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Fallon, Amanda	Video Recording
00:37:42	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Fallon, Anne	In Person
01:17:21	Break
01:35:37	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Fallon, Anne	In Person
02:23:48	End of Session

OCT

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Fallon, Anne	In Person
01:22:19	Break
01:42:33	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Fallon, Anne	In Person
02:25:42	Witness Cross Examination	Grady, Jeff	Fallon, Anne	In Person
02:54:03	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Grady, Jeff	Fallon, Anne	In Person
00:47:42	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Fallon, Anne	In Person
01:21:22	Break
01:37:40	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Fallon, Anne	In Person
01:49:18	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Fallon, Anne	In Person
01:55:01	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Aslanali, Osman	Video Recording
02:30:37	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Wilson, Craig	Video Recording
02:53:05	End of Session

OCT

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Townsend, Margaret	In Person
01:18:49	Break
01:35:20	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Townsend, Margaret	In Person
02:50:48	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Townsend, Margaret	In Person
02:58:11	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Townsend, Margaret	In Person
00:55:30	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Townsend, Margaret	In Person
01:25:25	Break
01:41:53	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Townsend, Margaret	In Person
02:09:38	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Townsend, Margaret	In Person
02:15:10	Witness Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Schelitzche, Darla	In Person
02:52:35	End of Session

OCT

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

11 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Schelitzche, Darla	In Person
00:42:39	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Schelitzche, Darla	In Person
01:09:59	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Schelitzche, Darla	In Person
01:26:18	Break
01:44:33	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Schelitzche, Darla	In Person
01:46:12	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Schelitzche, Darla	In Person
01:55:26	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Adams-Cameron, Meg	In Person
02:27:23	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Adams-Cameron, Meg	In Person
02:44:22	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Adams-Cameron, Meg	In Person
02:47:21	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Adams-Cameron, Meg	In Person
02:48:59	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Dupont, Dr. Herbert M.D.	In Person
00:34:19	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Dupont, Dr. Herbert M.D.	In Person
00:45:33	Break
01:06:47	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Dupont, Dr. Herbert M.D.	In Person
01:22:26	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Dupont, Dr. Herbert M.D.	In Person
01:25:47	Witness Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Voss, Diane	In Person
02:55:44	End of Session

OCT

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

11 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Voss, Diane	In Person
00:40:57	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Voss, Diane	In Person
00:50:59	Break
01:08:20	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Voss, Diane	In Person
01:39:12	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Voss, Diane	In Person
01:53:21	Witness Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, Dale	In Person
02:09:13	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Jolson, Dale	In Person
02:29:05	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Jolson, Dale	In Person
02:34:45	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, Dale	In Person
02:43:49	Witness Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, Dale	In Person
02:51:23	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, Donald	In Person
00:23:39	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Jolson, Donald	In Person
00:25:18	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, Donald	In Person
00:26:24	Witness Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Aramoumi , Detective Fadi Ph.D.	In Person
01:38:11	Break
01:58:06	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Aramoumi , Detective Fadi Ph.D.	In Person
02:34:36	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Aramoumi , Detective Fadi Ph.D.	In Person
02:55:19	End of Session

OCT

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Aramoumi , Detective Fadi Ph.D.	In Person
00:18:36	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Simon, Ron	Aramoumi , Detective Fadi Ph.D.	In Person
00:37:02	Witness Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, David	In Person
01:07:49	Break
01:27:17	Witness Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, David	In Person
01:32:17	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Jolson, David	In Person
01:49:49	Witness Cross Examination	Martinez, Damian	Jolson, David	In Person
01:52:47	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, David	In Person
01:57:02	Witness Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, Daryl	In Person
02:53:02	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

12 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, Daryl	In Person
00:04:48	Witness Cross Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Jolson, Daryl	In Person
00:21:53	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gomez, John	Jolson, Daryl	In Person
00:26:09	Witness Cross Examination	Simon, Ron	Harrison, Dr. Lee M.D.	Video Recording
00:32:56	Witness Cross Examination	Simon, Ron	Hanje, Dr. James M.D.	Video Recording
00:40:03	General Case Activities
00:53:22	Witness Direct Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Wilson, Craig	Video Recording
01:08:29	Witness Direct Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Zink, Donald	In Person
01:23:27	Break
01:41:07	Witness Direct Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Zink, Donald	In Person
02:07:45	Witness Cross Examination	Simon, Ron	Zink, Donald	In Person
02:49:59	End of Session

OCT

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Simon, Ron	Zink, Donald	In Person
00:43:48	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Zink, Donald	In Person
00:59:35	Break
01:44:05	General Case Activities
01:50:08	Witness Direct Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Schelitzche, Darla	In Person
01:55:40	Witness Cross Examination	Gomez, John	Schelitzche, Darla	In Person
01:59:37	Witness Direct Examination	Kuwana, Eric	Voss, Diane	In Person
02:03:21	Witness Cross Examination	Gomez, John	Voss, Diane	In Person
02:06:13	General Case Activities
02:28:37	End of Session

OCT

AM Session

Closings

5 Chapters

PM Session

Closings

6 Chapters

OCT

PM Session

Verdict

3 Chapters

OCT

Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend Cases

Summary

Outcome

Sessions

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:08:22	Opening Statement	Simon, Ron
00:53:11	Break
01:09:38	General Case Activities
01:11:13	Opening Statement	Kuwana, Eric
01:55:19	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:57:57	Break
01:13:28	Closing Statement	Simon, Ron
02:06:11	Closing Statement	Gomez, John
02:31:16	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	Reading of the Verdict
		00:05:49	General Case Activities
		00:07:54	End of Session