As of June 15th, 2021, California has officially reopened after 15 months of unprecedented pandemic restrictions. The Golden State is down to 1.8 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents each day – low enough, according to our legislators, to reopen the state.
This is a significant milestone for both PARRIS and the state of California. A new season is beginning, both literally and metaphorically. In light of these recent changes, we wanted to pause for a moment and acknowledge the PARRIS team’s many achievements since the pandemic began. What have PARRIS lawyers and staff been able to accomplish in these 15 months at home?
Exciting Victories
Despite working from home, PARRIS attorneys achieved more than 350 settlements on behalf of clients in 2020. Here are some highlights:
- A wrongfully terminated client received a $1.05 million verdict with the help of the PARRIS employment team.
- A rollover car accident victim received a $23 million settlement for their injuries.
- An apartment complex assault victim recovered $1.3 million after suffering severe injuries.
- A trucking accident victim secured a $17.5 million victory in late 2020. Given the complexity of truck accident cases, this is a significant accomplishment for both the plaintiff and the firm.
New Cases
Throughout the turbulent pandemic season, the team at PARRIS ensured that those facing hardship got the compensation they needed to thrive.
- In May 2020, PARRIS attorneys began litigating against overreaching policing practices enforced on a Black Lives Matter protestor, Randy Stewart, injured by the LAPD during a peaceful protest. The rubber bullets fired by the LAPD left Randy with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), a brain hemorrhage, blurred vision, difficulty speaking, PTSD, tinnitus, and more.
- In September 2020, PARRIS moved to protect a popular local brewhouse, Transplants Brewing, from hardship by forcing LA County to allow the brewery to open. At the time, LA County permitted most restaurants to reopen with limited-capacity outdoor seating, but prevented those that lacked an “on-site” kitchen like Transplants. With the help of PARRIS, Transplants sued the County, citing violations of the business’s rights to due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment. On filing the lawsuit, the LA County Board of Supervisors voted to remove the on-site kitchen requirement, allowing breweries like Transplants all over the county to reopen.
- In February 2021, PARRIS attorneys filed a class-action lawsuit against the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) for their role in covering up a massive gas leak at the Sun Valley Generating Station for at least three years. Sun Valley and Pacoima residents were exposed to toxic gas fumes that caused recurring headaches, bloody noses, shortness of breath, eye and skin irritation, severe anxiety, and nausea. According to LA Times reporter Lila Seidman, the community around the 70-year-old Valley Generating Station is home to largely Latinx and Black residents that are regularly exposed to some of LA’s worst air quality. PARRIS’s lawsuit seeks to recover monetary damages to pay for medical care and cleaning for affected residents living within 3 miles of the plant.
Key Recognitions
2020 wasn’t all bad news. Our firm hit some major milestones in the last 15 months:
- PARRIS Law Firm turned 35! Since Rex and Carrol Parris founded the firm in 1985, PARRIS attorneys have won over $1.9 billion for clients. Even now, we remain committed to the same vision our founders had all those years ago: building a truly great law firm.
- The Daily Journal—one of the West’s top legal news sources—recognized R. Rex Parris as one of California’s Top Plaintiff Lawyers in June 2021. The Daily Journal recognizes exceptional legal talent in their annual lists, which are selected after careful review of hundreds of attorney nominations.
- U.S. News named R. Rex Parris and Robert A. Parris to their prestigious list of 2021 Best Lawyers; and also named Khail A. Parris to their 2021 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list. That’s three PARRIS attorneys with national recognition for their legal feats in 2020.
PARRIS Cares
When the PARRIS team isn’t fighting for fairness in the courtroom, we take care of our own: our community.
- In the wake of George Floyd’s death in the summer of 2020, PARRIS donated $50,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit committed to fighting racial and social injustice in the United States. EJI works within communities, the criminal justice system, and the education system to expose injustice and advocate for those victimized by it.
- Founding partner R. Rex Parris and firm administrator Carrol Parris have donated $50,000 to CarthroniX, a biotech company focused on developing therapies for aging-related diseases. The donation will assist Dr. Denis Evseenko’s research in slowing the progression of arthritis.
The pandemic has been difficult on all of us, and we are beyond excited to begin the process of safely returning to life in person. Despite the hardship of being apart, our firm has grown stronger knowing that we’re all in this together. Going forward, we hope to employ the same resiliency we’ve learned in this pandemic as we continue to fight for our community in the courtroom.
