Monterey Hills...

1989 - 1990 Longest Civil Jury Trial in Los Angeles County

The Castro firm successfully litigated the longest land subsidence jury trial in Los Angeles County history. Joel Castro tried the massive 200 unit Eaton Crest project in Monterey Hills, a structure that was constructed on a defective 100 foot deep landfill. The $21,634,466 award reported by the Los Angeles Daily Journal was the largest jury award of the year.

"There was a canyon with an artesian well at the bottom. The fill was subsiding so fast, nothing could be corrected until the fill was stabilized. The water in the swimming pool was at an angle and the building was falling apart." (Los Angeles Daily Journal, August, 1994)

Over 300,000 construction documents were produced and managed by the firm.

"Castro accomplished this partly by using a specially designed computer program, long before the technology was used by most lawyers. Other attorneys believe he might have been the pioneer in database litigation." (Los Angeles Daily Journal, August 1994).

The jury returned a multi-million dollar verdict which was increased by the addition of attorneys’ fees and costs, together with interest. As a result of this favorable jury verdict, all Monterey Hills owners were able to settle their aggregate claims for $65,000,000 which represented the remaining coverage for all insurance carriers after $40,000,000 was paid in defense costs. Mr. Castro was instrumental in achieving that global settlement.