Richardo Echeverria

Claremont, California

Ricardo Echeverria is a trial attorney with the law firm of Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP where he handles both insurance bad faith and catastrophic personal injury cases.

Mr. Echeverria's trial record is distinguished by impressive victories including a $25.7 million (net) jury verdict in a catastrophic personal injury case (Elkins v. Murchison); a $7.2 million unanimous jury verdict against an insurance company for its failure to settle a claim within policy limits on behalf of its insured in Minnesota Federal Court (George Martin Co. v. Royal Insurance); a $5.1 million jury verdict against an insurance company for low-balling victims of the October 2003 California Wildfires (Stone v. Fidelity National); a $3.6 million jury verdict against an insurance company for its failure to pay on a $75,000 water loss claim under a homeowner's insurance policy (Colombero v. USAA); a $3.3 million jury verdict against an insurance company for mishandling a fire claim for victims of the 2007 San Diego wildfires (Van Zee v. Homesite Insurance); a $1.9 million verdict on behalf of the City of Long Beach against its insurer in a coverage dispute (City of Long Beach v. AIG); a $1.8 million jury verdict for a computer software developer (Nunn v. Cigna); a $1.8 million verdict against the State of California in a wrongful death action (Musharbash v. State of California); a $1 million jury verdict for a commercial property owner against a tenant for negligently causing a fire (Ramos-Lovato v. Community Bank); and a $500,000 jury verdict in a personal injury and premises liability action (Smith v. Margaritaville, Inc.).
Mr. Echeverria was named the 2010 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. Prior to that he had been nominated for the award in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. He has also been a finalist for the Consumer Attorney of California's Consumer Lawyer of the Year in 2007 and 2009.

A frequent lecturer on insurance bad faith and managed care liability, Mr. Echeverria has been a featured speaker for the American Association for Justice, formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Attorneys of the Inland Empire, National Health Lawyers Association, Montana Trial Lawyers Association, Whittier Law School, Santa Clara University School of Law, The University of La Verne College of Law, Practicing Bar Institute, American Conference Institute, and Mealey's. He is a member of the State Bar of California, the American Bar Association, the Riverside Bar Association, the Los Angeles Bar Association, Consumer Attorneys Association of California, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, where he has served as a member of the Board of Governors since 2003, and the Consumer Attorneys of the Inland Empire.

He has co-authored numerous articles, including "Litigating an HMO Bad Faith Case from the Plaintiff's Perspective," "The Erosion of ERISA Preemption of Bad Faith Liability Actions," "Punitive Damages in Insurance Bad Faith Cases," "HMOs: Delay of Treatment" and "Holocaust Insurance Claims: Getting Justice 50 years Later." Mr. Echeverria has also written several articles for Mealey's Publications, including "Goodrich v. Aetna: A $120.5 million Commentary."

Mr. Echeverria received his B.S., magna cum laude, from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1990, and his J.D. from Santa Clara University in 1993.

Areas of Practice:

Insurance Bad Faith

Liabitlity Insurance

Property Insurance

Catastrophic Personal Injury

HMO Cases

Wrongful Death

Professional Negligence

(100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation)

Bar Admissions:

California, 1993

U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1993

U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1993

U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 1993

U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 1993

U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1993

Education:

Santa Clara University School of Law, Santa Clara, California, 1993; J.D.

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, 1990; B.S.

Honors: Magna Cum Laude

Published Works:

Litigating an HMO Bad Faith Case from the Plaintiff's Perspective (Co-Author)

The Erosion of ERISA Preemption of Bad Faith Liability Actions" (Co-Author)

Punitive Damages in Insurance Bad Faith Casesi> (Co-Author)

HMOs: Delay of Treatmenti> (Co-Author)

Holocaust Insurance Claims: Getting Justice 50 years Later (Co-Author)

Goodrich v. Aetna: A $120.5 million Commentary, Mealey Publications

Bad Faith Action from the Duty to Settle, The Advocate

Handling Under-Insurance Cases (The Advocate) (Author)

Effective Presentation of Non-Economic Damages at Trial (The Advocate) (Author)

Trying an Insurance Bad Faith Case from A to Z (The Advocate) (Author)

Classes/Seminars Taught:

Frequent Lecturer, Insurance Bad Faith and Managed Care Liability

Featured Speaker, The Rutter Group, Shernoff Bad Faith Insurance Seminar

Featured Speaker, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles

Featured Speaker, Consumer Attorneys of California

Featured Speaker, Consumer Attorneys of the Inland Empire

Featured Speaker, Association of Trial Lawyers of America

Featured Speaker, National Health Lawyers Association

Featured Speaker, Montana Trial Lawyers Association

Featured Speaker, Whittier Law School

Featured Speaker, Santa Clara University School of Law

Featured Speaker, University of La Verne, College of Law

Featured Speaker, Practicing Bar Institute

Featured Speaker, American Conference Institute

Featured Speaker, Lexington Insurance Seminar

Featured Speaker, Mealey's Insurance Seminar

Featured Speaker, Riverside County Bar Association

Featured Speaker, Los Angeles, County Bar Association

Professional Associations and Memberships:

State Bar of California

Consumer Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) Board Member

CAALA Educational Committee Member