"Advocate for Justice" Awarded to Client

Mani, Ellis & Layne is proud to announce that our client was given the 2012 Advocate for Justice Award by the Association for Justice. Sandy Luellen sought the help of our firm after her daughter was tragically killed in an accident. Luellen's daughter had gone over to a friend's house to spend the night, but was killed in her sleep of carbon monoxide asphyxiation. The toxic fumes were the result of an improperly placed pool heater that was located directly beneath the room without proper ventilation.

Luellen stated that she never wanted any parent to have to go through what she went through, which is what compelled her to fight so hard for justice. After she came to our firm, we decided that the homeowner, the pool installer, the pool heater manufacturer and some other parties were all liable for the death in some way, and lawsuits were filed. The legal battle which started in 2008 was settled last year. We are proud that we got to work with Luellen not only for the justice of her daughter, but the safety of many future consumers.

The Advocate for Justice Award is presented each year to one plaintiff whose case results will have a positive impact on the safety of future consumers and workers. Because both Luellen and the attorneys from our firm fought so hard, the settlement forced the manufacturer to reevaluate the way they packaged and labeled products. Any time a company reevaluates the way they operate, safety improvements are made. Those safety improvements have the potential to prevent thousands of accidents, which is what warranted Sandy Luellen the 2012 Advocate for Justice Award.