About Alan Van Gelder
Alan Van Gelder focuses on catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, business litigation, and legal malpractice. He represented the family of actor Bill Paxton in his wrongful death case. He obtained a $12.2 million verdict for a client who suffered a traumatic brain injury after a fall (the jury found 0% fault against the plaintiff)
- a $15 million verdict in Keck v. Bel-Air Bay Club for wrongful death due to heat-related illness
- and a $15 million verdict in George v. Firstservice Residential for severe injuries caused by a drunk driver found 100% liable through his employer. He secured an $11.75 million settlement with Los Angeles County for the wrongful death of cyclist Milton Olin (struck by a texting Sheriff's deputy)
- an $18 million confidential settlement for a firefighter injured by a defective product on a fire engine
- and a $10 million settlement in a crash between a farm truck and a high school student
He earned his B.A. summa cum laude from California State University Northridge (1999) and his J.D. magna cum laude from Southwestern University School of Law (2002), where he served on the Law Review.
Proven verdicts and settlements
A Los Angeles jury found FirstService Residential California LLC vicariously liable for a crash caused by its drunk general manager on State Route 134 in 2013. The passenger's right arm was nearly severed and required about 30 surgeries. The jury set damages at $15,030,718.83 and found the passenger 20 percent at fault, so $12,024,575.06 stood against the company.
William M. Keck III, 48, died on September 3, 2017 after developing heat exhaustion during a paddle tennis tournament at the Bel-Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades. Club staff did not call 911 for about three hours. On November 25, 2019, a Santa Monica jury found the club 80 percent at fault and set his mother's damages at $15 million, which comparative fault reduced to $12 million.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and depends on its own facts.
