RADIO ALERT: KABC WEDNESDAY EVENING - 8:00 PM HOUR

RADIO ALERT:  Wednesday evening, during the 8:00 p.m. hour, John Phillips and I are chatting about the top stories.  Why?  I'm guessing Hurricane Irene wiped out the first seven tiers of guests.  Join us.  It'll be fun.

Shameless Plug For My New Solo Law Practice

Hey, good news! Well, good for me, but maybe for you, too. 

Yours truly is starting his own solo law practice effective 9/1, and my new office is WALKING DISTANCE from my house. No more commuting, plus, this way, I can better serve an under-served community: Beverly Hills. 

Also, I will be offering FLAT FEE BILLING, so clients will know in advance what my services will cost them. The problem with hourly rates is clients have no idea what they're going to wind up paying. It's like handing over a bunch of signed blank checks. 

Here's a link to my new website:  AttorneyWalterMoore.com.  And here's a picture of the office building:

Good-bye, 405.  Hello, short walk.

This also means I can do about 95% of my work at home, while enjoying the company of my bride, our dogs, and cigars. Is life good, or what?

So please remember me when you or a friend get into a legal dispute -- which is going to happen, because, hey, this is California.  Thanks!

RADIO ALERT: KABC TUESDAY MORNING

John Phillips - KABC 790 AM

RADIO ALERT: For some reason, John Phillips has graciously invited me to vent about Mayor Villaragosa's latest policy proposals tomorrow morning on KABC 790 just after 7:00 a.m. Tune in, would you? On the web it's KABC.com.

The Producers:  Nathan Baker and Mike Timpson

Rhymes With "Cage Discrimination"

Fox, baby, I love you, man, but you just can't fire an award-winning reporter like John Schwada, who's at the top of his game, consistently delivering the goods.  That's just asking for trouble.


Here's an article in the Los Angeles Times with the sub-headline that says it all:  "John Schwada is not just another pretty face on TV news, which may be why Fox 11 let the dogged journalist go."


Take it from someone with a license to sue: make a deal with Schwada to stay.

Trutanich, Baca, Cooley And Consumer Protection

Did Trutanich go "novelty check" for effect?

Have you read the article in the Los Angeles Times about City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, Sherif Lee Baca, District Attorney Steve Cooley, and the two million dollar check?

Long story short:  Trutanich hand-delivered to the County a $2 million check from the settlement of billboard litigation. Under the law, the money can be used only for consumer protection.  Trutanich suggested instead that the County hand it to his political ally, Baca, to use for rape kits. Truntanich claimed, apparently with a straight face, that processing rape kits constitutes consumer protection.  Cooley called Trutanich's personal delivery of the check bizarre.

Okay, enough politics, you public attorneys. It's time to get your "consumer protection" on. I have a terrific lawsuit for you, that can not only protect consumers, but can net local government a huge recovery.  Ready?  File an action for unfair competition and false advertising against Safeco for lying to its insureds about policy limits.  Be sure to seek civil penalties.

Safeco falsely tells insureds, in writing, that it will apply the policy limits on their declarations pages to "any covered loss."  The policy limits on the declarations pages, in turn, are for hundreds of thousands of dollars -- which is what it would take to rebuild your home. But when you actually submit a claim for a covered loss, surprise!  Safeco says that a $10,000 policy limit applies to some losses, even though that figure does not appear on the declarations pages.  And ten grand wouldn't replace your car, much less rebuild your house.

This is a massive consumer rip-off, and the law lets City Attorneys and District Attorneys go after insurance companies like this. For example, in People ex del. Bill Lockyer v. Fremont Life Insurance Company (2002) 104 Cal. App. 4th 508, the Court of Appeal upheld an award of $2.5 million in civil fines, plus injunctive relief and an order requiring restitution.

So how about it, fellahs?  You want to play politics or protect consumers?  Either one of you is welcome to contact me. In the meantime, you can find out more at SafecoLitigation.com.