SAN DIEGO (March 10, 2023) – In another win for nationwide insurance and civil litigation defense firm Tyson & Mendes LLP, a San Diego County jury returned a full defense verdict in favor of former Lemon Grove City Councilman David Arambula, who was being sued for bodily injury allegedly sustained during a physical altercation that occurred nearly six years ago with the plaintiff, Chris Williams (Williams v. Arambula).

According to Kathryn Lee Colgan, a Southern California-based Tyson & Mendes Partner who defended Mr. Arambula in the case, the plaintiff asserted causes of action for assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence, and sought $250,000 in damages – not including a claim for punitive damages in which he noted he would be asking for a substantial amount against Mr. Arambula personally.

Mr. Williams’ version of what occurred that evening and what occurred up to and just before the altercation differ drastically than Mr. Arambula’s version of events.

The plaintiff, Mr. Williams, claimed he was invited to Mr. Arambula’s home to discuss his pending medical marijuana dispensary applications and that during the visit, his applications were discussed for a significant amount of time with Mr. Arambula and the Mayor of Lemon Grove, Racquel Vasquez.

Mr. Arambula and Mayor Vasquez, on the other hand, both claimed to be unaware of Mr. Williams’ intended discussion topic and refused to discuss the matter when he brought it up.

“Mr. Williams’ lawsuit alleged that as he was attempting to leave Mr. Arambula’s home, he was unprovokedly attacked by Mr. Arambula, and received serious injuries including a fractured rib, a forehead contusion, an eyebrow laceration, and bites to his forearms. Plaintiff also claimed that following the attack, he received medical attention and incurred substantial physical, emotional, and economic damages,” Lee Colgan said.

The Tyson & Mendes defense team, which also included San Diego-based Senior Counsel Emily Straub, employed themes of responsibility, reasonableness and common sense, and focused on “silent witnesses” – the important pieces of evidence that never made it into the courtroom, but the jury needed to consider. The team also used the firm’s proven trial methods including accepting responsibility, personalizing the defendant, giving the jury a defense number, and arguing pain and suffering.

“Our client, Mr. Arambula, has always maintained he acted in self-defense after Mr. Williams violently confronted him at the end of the night – after not getting his way with respect to his marijuana application business – and placed him in a chokehold,” Lee Colgan continued. “There was sufficient evidence of this, and as such, we urged the jury to reject Mr. Williams’ fabricated version of events and to not award him any damages in this case – which they ultimately agreed was the most appropriate action. The last several years have been a difficult time for our client in the wake of this incident, and we are proud to have represented him in this case and vindicate him with this full defense verdict.”

Tyson & Mendes is celebrating more than 20 years of protecting its clients’ interests and delivering justice both inside and outside the courtroom. The firm has established itself as a leader in driving down damages awards and reducing the likelihood of Nuclear Verdicts® – often defined as jury awards in excess of $10 million. Using a unique set of proven defense methods, the firm saved its clients an astonishing $1.07 billion in aggregate damages claims in 2022. Tyson & Mendes previously saved its clients $667 million in 2021 and $606 million in 2020, bringing the firm’s savings results for clients to more than $2.2 billion in the past three years.

For more information and to view career opportunities, visit www.tysonmendes.com.

About Tyson & Mendes LLP
Celebrating more than 20 years of taking back justice for all, Tyson & Mendes LLP is a nationwide, AV-rated litigation and trial firm specializing in insurance defense and protecting its clients from Nuclear Verdicts®. Robert Tyson and Patrick Mendes founded the firm in 2002 to defend corporations, insurance companies, and their clients in civil litigation matters. The firm has experienced tremendous growth in the past two decades, with offices across the U.S. serving clients in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The firm is most widely recognized for winning the landmark Howell v. Hamilton Meats California Supreme Court case, which forever changed the state’s litigation landscape by significantly impacting the damages a plaintiff may recover. Robert Tyson is also the author of the Amazon Bestseller Nuclear Verdicts®: Defending Justice for All, the first playbook for the defense on how to avoid runaway jury verdicts.

For more information, visit www.tysonmendes.com.

Media Contact 

Ashley Bendas/Jean Walcher, J. Walcher Communications
ashley@jwalcher.com / jean@jwalcher.com, 619-295-7140

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