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Biography
Dan Rodman serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation group and Co-Chair of its Product Liability Litigation group. He is a trial lawyer focused on defending motor vehicle manufacturers and suppliers against claims of wrongful death or catastrophic injury and defending companies in complex commercial and employment litigation in California and Nevada.
Credentials
Bar Admissions
California
Nevada
Court Admissions
Supreme Court of California
Supreme Court of Nevada
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
United States District Court, All Districts of California
United States District Court, District of Nevada
Education
Loyola Law School (J.D.)
University of Southern California (B.S.)
Experience
Awards & Recognition
The Best Lawyers in America®, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2024-2025)
Orange County Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2025)
Top 10 Defense Verdicts, Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals (2005)
Top Lawyers: The Best of the Best in Southern Nevada, VEGAS INC. (2013)
AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®
Representative Experience
Extensive Trial & Litigation Experience Areas
Automotive/Motor Vehicle Litigation – defense of claims against motor vehicle manufacturers and suppliers involving rollover, crashworthiness, asbestos, and post-collision fire.
Aviation – defense of aircraft products and components, and airline mass torts actions.
Commercial Litigation – defense of contract and fraud claims and insurance class actions.
Consumer/Industrial Products – defense of various products including pharmaceutical products and medical devices, motorcycle and bicycle helmets, industrial saws and machinery, electrical heaters, escalators, and amusement park attractions.
Food Safety – defense of food and beverage manufacturers and distributors in foodborne illness claims.
Labor/Employment – defense of management in wrongful termination, discrimination, and sexual harassment claims.
Recent Trial Experience
McDowell v. Ford Motor Company – 6-week trial involving claims that carbon monoxide from a Ford Explorer police vehicle entered the cabin, rendered the driver unconscious, and caused a crash.
Mendoza v. Ford Motor Company – 3-week trial involving claims that a wheel detached from a Ford Focus resulting in an accident and the death of the driver of another vehicle.
Thabet v. Yamaha Motor Corporation USA – 4-week trial involving a fatal crash of a personal watercraft with claims that the watercraft failed to have off-throttle/off-power steering.
Defries v. Yamaha Motor Corporation USA – 3-week trial involving the crash of a dirt motorcycle with a claim that a defect or negligence caused the throttle to detach from the handlebars and cause the crash.
Fancher v. Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA– 2-week trial involving rollover of a Yamaha Rhino off-road utility vehicle with claims of defective handling/stability and crashworthiness.
Edwards v. Ford Motor Company – 2-week trial involving claims of defective roof and airbags in a Ford Explorer Sport Trac resulting in the death of a belted driver.
Troya v. Ford Motor Company – 3-week trial involving rollover of a Ford Expedition resulting in the death of the belted driver with claims of defective roof.
Hightower-Brown v. Ford Motor Company – 3-week employment trial involving claims of disability discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination.
Niemeyer v. Ford Motor Company – 2-week trial involving claim of airbag defects in a Ford Focus resulting in a death of driver.
Cuevas v. Ford Motor Company –1-week trial involving a rollover of a Ford F-150 pickup truck with claim of defective steering components.
Mauro v. Ford Motor Company – 9-week trial involving rollover of a 15 passenger van, with claims of defects in vehicle handling and negligent failure to recall.
Lee v. Ford Motor Company – 7-week trial involving rollover of a 15 passenger van, with claims of defective roof structure resulting in quadriplegia to belted driver.
Sorci v. Ford Motor Company & Mazda – 3-week trial involving a rear-end collision and rollover resulting in paraplegia to belted occupant, with claim of defective seat in Ford Probe.
Mansur v. Ford Motor Company –10-week trial involving a rollover resulting in death to belted occupant with claims of defective stability, roof and seatbelts in Ford Explorer.
Pillado v. Ford Motor Company – 5-month trial involving a rollover resulting in spinal cord injuries with claims of defective suspension and roof in Ford Aerostar van.
Belen v. Ford Motor Company – Defense at trial of claims of defective seatbelts and sliding door in a rollover of Ford Aerostar van resulting in ejections and deaths of four belted occupants.
Pansacola v. Malaysian Airlines – 2-week trial for wrongful termination and sexual harassment claims against airline supervisor.
Cory v. Ford Motor Company – 3-month trial against a claim of a defective roof in a rollover of the Ford LTD resulting in quadriplegia to faultless, belted occupant.
Gambill v. Ford Motor Company – 2-week trial involving a claim of a defective seat in Ford Explorer.
Gozukara v. Ford Motor Company – 3-month trial against claims of defective vehicle handling and stability in rollover of Ford Explorer resulting in paraplegia.
Deluca v. Ford Motor Company –1-week trial against claim of defective brakes in Mercury Mountaineer.
Kocinski v. Bell Motorcycle Europe – 4-week trial against claim of breach of sponsorship contract brought by professional racer.
Professional Memberships and Activities
Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow (2023-Present)
American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow (2017-Present)
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