Evangeline Fisher Grossman

Ms. Grossman is currently litigating multiple residential water losses against State Farm, ServiceMaster and Servpro. Water losses account for 60-80% of all claims. To cut claim costs, State Farm launched the “Premier Service Program” and entered into a contractual relationship with national water mitigation companies ServiceMaster and Servpro to dry out policyholders’ homes.

The “Premier Service Program” is a money saving tool for State Farm and a money making tool for ServiceMaster and Servpro. ServiceMaster and Servpro agree to complete the scope of water mitigation approved by State Farm at a price determined by State Farm. These cost cutting measures often result in mold growth for which State Farm limits coverage to $5,000. It is cheaper for State Farm to pay a mold claim than it is to pay for a thorough dry out and rebuild.

Ms. Grossman also litigates water claims against other insurance carriers who have similar programs. In addition to water claims, Ms. Grossman litigates losses arising out of fire, wind, burglary, theft, business interruption, life insurance and annuities.

Ms. Grossman has won multimillion dollar verdicts, obtained multimillion dollar arbitration awards, reached hundreds of multimillion dollar settlements, successfully represented clients in appraisal, litigated large class action lawsuits and prevailed in complex discovery references.

In Gjerset v. Allstate, Ms. Grossman represented an 85 year old WWII veteran and his wife who lost their Tujunga Canyon home in the 2009 Station wildfires. Ron and Nancy Gjerset owned and lived in their home for over thirty years before it was destroyed. Allstate refused to set correct policy limits, handled the claim unreasonably and corporate home office ratified its employee’s malicious, oppressive and fraudulent conduct. The case was tried in Glendale and the jury awarded a $1.7 million dollar verdict also finding that Allstate was liable for punitive damages. Prior to the punitive damage phase of trial a confidential settlement was reached.

Her many career accomplishments include a $9.4 million dollar arbitration award on behalf of cancer survivor Patsy Bates against her health insurance carrier; representation of Heath Ledger’s estate to recover life insurance proceeds for his young daughter; recovery on behalf of Holocaust survivors against Holocaust-era insurance companies; payment of life insurance proceeds to descendents of those who perished in the Armenian genocide and the prosecution of cases where elder abuse and/or discrimination is an issue.

Ms. Grossman will also represent clients who prefer her to negotiate a settlement without litigation.  This is an avenue to justice and moving forward expeditiously with one’s life that cannot readily be achieved in the advent of court under funding.  Clients who choose this option often reach a final resolution of their disputes in months rather than years.

Ms. Grossman is a previous board member of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) and remains active in the organization.  She is a current board member of the Consumer Attorneys of the Inland Empire (CAOIE) and was given the Presidential Award of Merit by that organization.  She received an award from the CAOC Women’s Caucus for her accomplishments as a Woman Trial Lawyer and is a member of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles.  She is also a member of the American Association of Justice and is qualified and admitted to the United States Supreme Court.  She has been recognized by Los Angeles Magazine as a Southern California Super Lawyer since 2006. Ms. Grossman was a 2015 panelist for the Rutter Group Insurance Litigation Program. She is also a Board Member of United Policyholders.

A native of Claremont, California Ms. Grossman received her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Occidental College in 1989.  She studied law at Magdalen College in Oxford, England and obtained her J.D. from Santa Clara Law School in 1994.

Ms. Grossman has been with the firm for twenty-two years and has been a partner since 2007.