Allied World Insurance Company as Subrogee of Andrew Smith Company, LLC v. Desert Premium Farms, LLC, et al.
Attorneys Chris Faenza and Vivian Rivera obtained a defense verdict in a commercial subrogation case entitled Andrew Smith Company v. Desert Premium Farms. They represented defendant Desert Premium Farms (DPF) in a breach of contract case brought by the shipper of romaine lettuce (Andrew Smith Company) and its insurer (Allied World Insurance Company) against DPF, the grower. The case was venued in Monterey County.
Plaintiffs alleged that defendant Desert Premium Farms allowed a lettuce crop to be contaminated in the field and sought reimbursement of more than $8.5 million for their legal fees, costs, and settlements paid to claimants in subsequent E.coli food poisoning cases. Defendant Desert Premium Farms challenged Plaintiffs’ theory regarding the lettuce contamination and denied that it supplied the contaminated lettuce.
The jury returned a defense verdict in only 35 minutes.
