Consumer Fraud: Fighting illegal overcharges

As lead counsel, David Sugerman led a trial team to a $409 million win against oil giant BP for its illegal overcharges at Oregon ARCO stations.

As lead counsel, David Sugerman led a trial team to a $409 million win against oil giant BP for its illegal overcharges at Oregon ARCO stations. In Scharfstein v. BP West Coast Products, LLC, an Oregon jury found that BP knowingly overcharged Oregon consumers. BP collected illegal charges 13,000 times per day. Read More

Consumer Protection

Students enrolling at the culinary school were told that the school placed over 90 percent of its graduates. But it didn’t tell students that the jobs counted in the 90 percent were those that people could get without a culinary school degree.

Adams v. Western Culinary Institute, State of Oregon, Multnomah County Circuit Court Case No. 0803-03530 (Case pending): As class counsel, David Sugerman leads efforts to obtain refunds and interest for students who attended Career Education Corporation’s Le Cordon Bleu Portland/Western Culinary Institute. Students enrolling at the culinary school were told that the school placed over 90 percent of its graduates. But it didn’t tell students that the jobs counted in the 90 percent were those that people could get without a culinary school degree. The school gathered detailed salary information on its graduates’ initial placements showing that the vast majority were earning poverty level wages that would not support repayment of loan balances of $30,000 or more. Status: class certified; case is on appeal. Read More

Veterans Rights

During the Iraq war, Oregon Army National Guard units provided security at a contaminated KBR worksite, the Qarmat Ali Water Treatment Plant...

During the Iraq war, Oregon Army National Guard units provided security at a contaminated KBR worksite, the Qarmat Ali Water Treatment Plant. The contaminated veterans returned home with a host of health problems and threats. As trial counsel, David Sugerman worked with a talented team and won a jury trial for 12 of these veterans. The unanimous jury returned an $85 million verdict for 12 of these veterans. While the case was on appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in an unrelated case that changed the rules of jurisdiction. As a result, these Oregon veterans were required to file heir cases in KBR's home district in Houston. The Houston judge recently dismissed these cases, and now we are on appeal again. Read More

Dangerous Products

In Shea v. Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co., workers claimed that a design defect in the tool caused disabling injuries to their hands.

State of Oregon Multnomah County Circuit Court Case No. 9509-06261 Issue class certified and ultimately settled for a class of Oregon workers who used a Chicago Pneumatic tool to remove windshields from cars. The workers claimed that a design defect in the tool caused disabling injuries to their hands. Reported opinion: 164 Or. App. 198, 990 P.2d 912 (2000)(affirming class certification decision). Read More