Richard W. Langerman, Attorney

I am Richard Langerman, a trial attorney with over 25 years of experience in handling injury and death cases. My practice areas includes:

• Serious Personal Injuries
• Wrongful Death
• Defective Products
• Insurance Bad Faith
• Construction Accidents
• Automobile Accidents
• Trucking Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents
  

Product Liability

If a manufacturer or retailer sells a defective product, the company is liable for any injuries or death caused by the product defect. I have handled product liability cases involving serious injuries and deaths caused by defectively designed motorcycles, tires, bicycles, car jacks and televisions as well as improperly labeled drugs and fireworks.

I have helped write the laws and have argued cases which have defined product liability for all Arizonans. I was amicus curiae (friend of the court) in Dart v. Wiebe Manufacturing, Inc., 147 Ariz. 242 (1985) (defining the elements of proof in a strict product liability case) and Gosewisch v. American Honda Motor Co., 153 Ariz. 400 (1987) (explaining the elements in a product liability failure to warn case); and represented the injured victim in Rossell v. Volkswagen of America, 147 Ariz. 160 (1985) (explaining the elements of proof in a product liability case based on negligence). I also assisted in drafting Arizona Revised Statutes 12-687 which limits a manufacturer's right to hide self-critical analysis and investigation of defective products and was the principal author of Arizona's jury instructions on product liability law. I have also given a number of lectures on products liability law.

Insurance Bad Faith

Insurance companies are required to pay the benefits outlined in their insurance policies. Insurers also owe a duty of good faith to each policy holder. When an insurance company acts in bad faith, it must pay not only what is owed under the contract, the company must also pay for any other damages it has caused including emotional damage suffered by the policyholder.

I have represented policyholders for over 25 years including bad faith cases involving auto insurance, health insurance, homeowners insurance, and life and disability insurance. I appeared as amicus curiae (friend of the court) in the case of Zilisch v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co., 196 Ariz. 234 (2000), in which the Arizona Supreme Court explained what is required by the duty of good faith. I was also the principal author of the jury instructions used in all bad faith cases in Arizona and have lectured extensively on the law of bad faith and the intricacies of trying a bad faith case.

Construction Defect Cases

I have represented a number of workers who were injured by dangerous conditions on their job. I represented the injured worker in Lewis v. Riebe, 170 Ariz. 384 (1992) in which the Arizona Supreme Court explained the duty owed by general contractors to provide for work site safety. My construction site trial experience includes a multimillion dollar victory against the United States government on behalf of seven workers injured while constructing the pipeline connecting the Waddell Dam to the Central Arizona Project.

Automobile Accidents

I have represented families affected by injuries and death from traffic accidents including trucking accidents, accidents involving defective motorcycles and unreasonably dangerous highways. I have lectured on the subjects of using experts in complex automobile litigation and litigation involving highway design defects. My experience includes a $1.8 million verdict on behalf of a young woman injured as a result of defective highway.