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Personal:
Bruce Alverson is a
long-time Nevadan (since 1951) who concentrates his practice on defending
all aspects of civil litigation.
He is a member of the two most prestigious trial
lawyer organizations in America -- the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL)
and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) -- and has served in
leadership positions with each. Of the over 9,800 lawyers in Nevada as of
2008, only 17 have been accepted into membership by both organizations and only 7 of
those practice law in Las Vegas.
Bruce has an “AV” rating with Martindale Hubbell
and has been selected as a Nevada Super Lawyer in the area of Civil
Litigation Defense by Mountain States Super Lawyers and Corporate Counsel
Super Lawyers.
Education:
University
of San Francisco
(J.D., 1970)
University
of Nevada, Reno (B.S.,
Accounting, 1964)
University
of Nevada, Las Vegas
(M.A., History, 1995)
University
of Nevada, Las Vegas
(Ph.D., History, 2008)
Bar and Court Admissions:
Nevada
Supreme Court
U.S.
District Court, District of Nevada
U.S.
District Court, Northern District of California
Supreme Court of the
United States
Professional Associations:
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers (Nevada State
Chairman
2004 -
2007)
Advocate, American Board of Trial Advocates (Las Vegas Chapter
President 2002 - 2007; National Board of Directors 2007 - )
International Society of
Barristers
Nevada American Inn of Court (Master)
Adjunct Professor of Law,
William
S. Boyd
School of Law,
University of Nevada,
Las Vegas (Trial Advocacy, 2003-2005)
Adjunct Professor, College of Southern
Nevada (Nevada
History, 2003-2005)
Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of
Trial
Advocacy (1985)
ALFA International (Board of Directors 2003-2007)
Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (1966)
Nevada
State Board of
Accountancy
Defense Research Institute
State Bar of Nevada
Clark County Bar Association
American Bar Association
Southern Nevada Joint Medical-Legal
Screening Panel, 1976-1981
Defense Trial Lawyers of Nevada (Secretary/Treasurer1985-1991)
Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society (Board of Directors 2003 -
)
United States
Supreme Court Historical Society (Board of Trustees
2004 - ;
Nevada
State Chairman 2003 -
)
Professional Recognition:
Selected as Nevada
Super Lawyer (2007, 2008, 2009)
Publications:
"Country Lawyer in a Maverick
Boom Town: The Legal Career of Harry
Claiborne", Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy Degree in History
"Nevada Business Law
Summary", copyright 2002
"Nevada Law Summary",
copyright 2000
"Hedonic Damages-Methodology and Admissibility", FICC Quarterly,
Vol. 50, No. 3, Spring, 2000
"The Limits of Power: Comstock Litigation, 1859-1864", Nevada
Historical Society Quarterly, Vol. 43, No. 1, Spring, 2000
"Brain Mapping: Should This Controversial Evidence be Excluded?"
FICC Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 2, Winter 1998
"The Camp Without A Failure: Searchlight, 1903-1909", Nevada
Historical Society Quarterly, Vol. 39, No. 3, Fall, 1996
Representative Cases:
Bruce has defended clients in many jury trials involving personal injury and
wrongful death in the areas of general tort, products liability and medical
malpractice. His representative trials include:
Kodera v. United Rentals: A 47 year old
off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer wrecked her motorcycle in or near
a road construction site in Las Vegas. She claimed that the traffic
control plan and devises were improper which caused her to be confused as to
which direction she should be driving. As a result, she locked up her
brakes, went into an uncontrollable skid and crashed. She sustained
moderate to severe brain damage, suffered numerous fractures and
lacerations, and was in a coma for weeks. She will never work again
and at issue was whether she could live alone, with moderate supervision, or
whether she needed an assisted living arrangement. She incurred past
medical bills of nearly $700,000; future life care expenses of nearly
$900,000; and loss of income of nearly $930,000. The jury returned a
defense verdict based upon proximate cause after a ten day trial. Robeck
v. Lunas Construction: The Plaintiff, a
middle aged banker, was rear ended by a tractor-trailer.
The parties stipulated to liability. The Plaintiff
underwent fusion surgery at two levels in his low back and
incurred nearly $230,000 in past medical expenses, and between
$1.4 and $1.8 million for past and future loss of income.
After a four day trail, the jury returned a defense verdict on
the issue of proximate cause. Triplett v. Oakland: A 34 year old female security guard was
rear ended while stopped at a “yield” sign on a freeway exit. She claimed an
injury to her cervical spine which required five surgeries including
multi-level fusions, and future treatment included a spine stimulator.
She claimed damages of $750,000 past medical expenses, $6,000,000
future medical expenses, and loss of income until age 65. Plaintiff made a
settlement demand of $13,000,000. An eight day jury trial resulted in a
verdict of $1,237,862.
Fields v. Fleetwood Enterprises Inc.: Plaintiff father was
operating a Fleetwood motor home. His six year old daughter was a passenger.
A fire occurred in the engine compartment and both occupants sustained
significant burn injuries. Plaintiffs alleged that the vehicle was
negligently designed. Plaintiff father sustained $283,200 and $53,800 in
past and future medical expenses, and his
daughter sustained $413,600 and $183,000 for past and future medical
expenses. Both had extensive scarring. Plaintiffs demanded $837,000 for the father and $11.4 million for
the daughter. A defense verdict after a five day jury trial.
Aspgren v. Zurich Insurance Company: A 48 year old financial
planner was rear ended. He was earning $250,000 per year. Plaintiff
allegedly sustained a closed-head injury, cervical injuries resulting in
double vision, migraine headaches, cognitive deficiency, and a residual
fibromyalgia and myofacial pain. Plaintiff alleged $70,000 and $150,000 for
past and future medical expenses, $400,000 and $2.5 million for past and
future loss of income. He made a pre-trial demand of $7.2 million. After an
11 day trial, the jury awarded Plaintiff $300,000 (reduced to $165,000 due
to offsets), and found for Defendant on the issue of bad faith.
Sherba v. McLane/Sunwest Inc.: A 90 year old pedestrian was
killed when Defendant’s 18-wheel tractor trailer ran over him. Plaintiff claimed that the driver was looking for eastbound
traffic prior to pulling onto the street. Decedent was going westbound on
the sidewalk, walked in front of the tractor trailer and was run over.
Evidence of contact included tire track marks on the decedent’s clothing.
Plaintiff demanded $2 million for settlement and after a nine day trial, the
jury found for the Defendant.
McCrea v. Stovall: Defendant lawyer represented the Plaintiff
in a dental malpractice action which was dismissed for failure to bring the
case to trial within five years. The Plaintiff sued her lawyer for
malpractice. The trial focused on the value of the underlying dental
malpractice case in determining what, if any, damages resulted from the
dismissal. After a five day jury trial, defense verdict.
Aceto v. Shreck and St. Paul Insurance: Plaintiff was rear
ended by Defendant Shreck in a multiple vehicle accident. Plaintiff claimed torn cartilage of the knee, torn
rotator cuff, bilateral carpel tunnel syndrome, and soft tissue injuries
extending from the cervical through the lumbar spine. Plaintiff sought
$75,000 in medical expenses, $273,000 in lost income, and argued damages of
$1.4 million to the jury. After a five day trial, defense verdict.
Hole v. Drs. Sobel and Klein: A female Plaintiff, age 61, had
a long history of angina, high blood pressure, and congenital narrowing of
the aorta, for which she underwent heart surgery. Plaintiff alleged that the
doctors failed to recognize signs of impending closure of the carotid artery
after the surgery and she subsequently had a debilitating stroke. After a 4½
week jury trial, defense verdict.
Beader v. Dr. Chin: A 60 year old woman sought chiropractic
treatment from Defendant for neck pain. Although she denied having
complained of lumbar pain, the Defendant chiropractor adjusted her low back
and allegedly caused herniation of a lumbar disc. After a six day trial, the
jury returned a defense verdict.
Hinds v. Drs. Cantor and Perer: After being hospitalized for
hepatitis B, Plaintiff alleged the Defendant doctors, nephrologist and
gastroenterologist, failed to make the correct diagnosis of vasculitis and
polyarteritis, for which she was later hospitalized four times over an
eighteen month period. The delay in diagnosis, she argued, caused
irreparable damage and left her permanently disabled from full time
employment. After a two week jury trial, defense verdict.
Perogoy v. North Las Vegas Cab Company: Female Plaintiff, age
50, was a passenger in a vehicle which was rear ended by Defendant cab
driver. Liability was not contested. Plaintiff alleged cervical and lumbar
injury which resulted in a laminectomy, a rib resection for thoracic outlet
syndrome, and a non-diagnosable disease of the arm–all of which disabled her
from work. Plaintiff claimed past medical expenses of $100,000, future
medical expenses of an undetermined amount, and loss of income of $225,000.
After a nine day trial, the jury awarded $12,300.
Saulog v. Dr. Silver: During a cesarean section delivery, the
operating room nurses notified the surgeon that a laparotomy sponge was missing.
After a thorough search, including x-rays, the surgeon determined that the
sponge was not inside the patient and closed the procedure. Later, the
Plaintiff felt a lump in her abdomen and two years later the sponge was
identified and surgically removed. Defendant argued that he followed the
generally accepted procedures for identifying whether a missing sponge was
within the body cavity of a patient, and that closure of the incision could
not wait indefinitely. For unexplained reasons, the x-ray did not identify
the presence of the sponge in the Plaintiff. A jury instruction regarding the presumption of negligence due to a
foreign object left within the body of a patient was given. After an
eight day trial, the jury returned a
defense verdict.
Fluxgold v. United Blood Services: Decedent underwent a
successful heart surgery and the day before he was discharged he was given a
blood transfusion to “pink up” his appearance. The blood which was provided
by United Blood Services was contaminated. Plaintiff died the next day.
Defendant argued that blood is a product that cannot be made 100%
contamination free, and that the blood center followed the proper procedures
in drawing and storing the blood. After an eight day jury trial, defense
verdict. Blackstone v. Las Vegas Fertilizer: An
elderly driver hit a pedestrian while in a cross-walk, knocking him ten feet
into the air. He landed on his head. Plaintiff was in a coma for
ten days, and sustained a residual closed-head injury which resulted in
memory loss, depression and loss of income. After a week long trial,
the jury returned a defense verdict based upon comparative negligence. MGM Hotel Fire Litigation: Served as a member of the
Plaintiffs' Legal Committee, representing the subrogation interests of
several major insurance companies. |
