Greg Bentley

Results matter. Mr. Bentley continues to push and get great results for his clients:

• In 2024, Mr. Bentley and his team, along with three other advocate firms, achieved a more than $720 million class action settlement in the action entitled Holly Wedding, et al. v. California Public Employees’ Retirement System, et al., LASC Case No. BC51744. The long-running case concerns the actions of the CalPERS Long Term Care Program, which despite years of promises that premiums would remain steady and stable, implemented a targeted 85% premium increase in 2015/2016 on tens of thousands of CalPERS Long Term Care policyholders. Following ten years of hard-fought litigation, including dozens of depositions, dispositive motions, two phases of trial, and all expert discovery, the matter finally reached resolution on behalf of approximately 80,000 policyholders consisting of refunds and payments to policyholders, a moratorium on premium increases, as well as fees, costs, and administrative expenses.
• In 2012, Mr. Bentley secured a $31.5 million jury verdict against Caltrans and a left-turning driver on behalf of a Los Angeles County prosecutor who suffered catastrophic brain and spinal cord injuries as a result of an accident on SR 138. The case involved a “skewed” intersection in which the evidence established that Caltrans knew or should have known created a dangerous condition to the public as drivers were “cutting the corner” to make unsafe turns against oncoming traffic. The 6-week trial resulted in a verdict that allowed for the client to receive the necessary money he needed to provide care for him for the remainder of his life.  (Evans v. Caltrans, et. al.).
• In 2023, Mr. Bentley successfully obtained a $26,075,000 settlement on a very difficult liability case involving a construction site accident resulting in the client suffering a life-changing traumatic brain injury. The client was hit by a u-turning vehicle which was trying to gain access into a local convenience store, but was re-routed by traffic delineators at this construction zone. The multiple defendants all pointed fault at the plaintiff and the u-turning driver. Bentley & More took 33 depositions, hired 11 retained experts, including traffic design, accident reconstruction and human factors experts and proved that the re-routing was negligent and caused confusion to drivers, including the u-turning vehicle. The case settled against multiple defendants on the eve of trial.
• In 2018, Mr. Bentley obtained a $30 million settlement against a large trucking company whose negligent maintenance of its fleet of trucks resulted in a driveshaft shearing off while traveling on the freeway striking 10 other vehicles before smashing through the windshield of a vehicle driven by a hard-working wife and mother of two, violently striking her in the face. The young mother suffered catastrophic injuries including severe traumatic brain injury, extensive encephalomalacia (the softening and loss of brain tissue), facial fractures, orbital fractures, nasal fractures, cognitive deficits, chronic and permanent nerve pain on her forehead due to a damaged 5^th cranial nerve, numbness on her face, memory loss, headaches, severe double vision, loss of vision in her right eye, loss of smell, disfigurement, dizziness, anxiety, depression, anger, and impulsiveness. (Dominguez v. Doe.)
• In 2018, Mr. Bentley obtained a $26 million personal injury and wrongful death settlement on behalf of four family members who, while traveling on the freeway and slowing for traffic ahead, were slammed into from behind by a Ford Ranger traveling in excess of 75 mph and driven by a summer intern of a large construction company. The tragic accident resulted in the tragic death of one rear-seat passenger, serious head, neck, back and shoulder injuries to the driver and front seat passenger, which required several surgeries, and catastrophic injuries to the other rear-seat passenger including spinal and facial fractures, major traumatic brain injury, a crushed skull, facial disfigurement and leaving her virtually blind in one eye. (Munoz v. Doe.)
• In 2018, Mr. Bentley obtained a $12 million wrongful death settlement against the City of Los Angeles on behalf of the family of Alice Gruppioni, an Italian newlywed tragically killed on her honeymoon when struck by a reckless vehicle on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. The case received local and international media attention, shining a light on the City’s failure to properly secure the Boardwalk from access by unauthorized vehicles. Mr. Bentley also obtained a key ruling from the California Court of Appeal, deciding an issue of first impression, that an area such as the Boardwalk, with its high level of commercial and vendor activity, would not entitle the City of Los Angeles to “recreational trail” immunity under the California Government Code. The $12 million settlement represents the largest wrongful death settlement ever reached with the City of Los Angeles. In addition to the settlement payment, the City will install more secure barriers to protect the area and agreed to place a plaque at the location in tribute to Alice Gruppioni. (Gruppioni v. City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BC553109, consolidated as Case No. BC537145, Court of Appeal Case No. B280429.) You can read about the case here. (LA Times link), (Press Release link)
• In 2020, Mr. Bentley obtained a confidential 8-figure settlement on behalf of multiple homeowners who lost their homes in the 2017 Northern California wildfires. Despite maintaining insurance with the same carrier for years, and despite the insurance company recommending and even selecting the policy limits, the devastating wildfires left the homeowners without adequate insurance to even begin rebuilding their lost homes. This underinsurance problem—all too common in the property insurance industry—was instigated by insurers falsely promising to conduct detailed estimates of replacement cost value, falsely claiming they revised that estimate yearly to account for changes in construction costs, and by relying on software that knowingly underestimated the cost to rebuild insureds’ homes.  Despite the vast majority of homeowners believing they are adequately insured, these factors have combined to leave upwards of 80% of homes throughout the United States underinsured in the event of a total, catastrophic loss.
• In 2020, Mr. Bentley reached a confidential eight-figure settlement on behalf of clients injured by alleged product defects suffering burn injuries.
• In 2020, Mr. Bentley recovered $6 million on behalf of a mother who’s nineteen-year-old daughter was killed when her car careened down an embankment on the mountain winding Bouquet Canyon Road crashing into a tree, causing her tragic death. Through 39 depositions, numerous expert studies and analysis, and local resident declarations, Mr. Bentley and his team established that the road constituted a dangerous condition for it’s lack of a guardrail. As a result of the litigation, the County of Los Angeles has now installed a guardrail on this mountain winding road, which if it had been in place at the time, would have prevented the tragic death. (Parks v. County of Los Angeles)
• In 2015, Mr. Bentley obtained a $1.885 million jury verdict in Riverside Superior Court in a first-of-its-kind product liability case involving an e-cigarette device that exploded while charging, causing severe physical burns and a lifetime of emotional scars to his client (Jennifer Ries v. VAPCIGS – Los Angeles Times article). Mr. Bentley is the national leader in exploding electronic cigarette litigation, handling cases across the country on behalf of clients injured by the unregulated defective products. These senseless explosions have inflicted devastating injuries, including second and third degree burns to the face, legs, genitals and arms, as well as broken jaws, lost teeth, damaged gums and a client who lost an eye. Mr. Bentley’s crusade against the industry has been extensively covered by, among others, Buzzfeed, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Daily Journal, and he has appeared as a guest on the Dr. Oz show – bringing national attention to the widespread e-cigarette explosion problem. In 2020, Mr. Bentley secured an 8-figure settlement against a major battery manufacturer on behalf of scores of clients injured by defective exploding batteries. The international defendant aggressively litigated the matters, resulting in several years of litigation maneuvering, and more than 40 motions throughout California and other states. To-date, Mr. Bentley has secured more than $60 million in settlements and verdicts on behalf of injured e-cigarette victims throughout the nation. Educating consumer attorneys about the issue – Mr. Bentley has repeatedly been published and appeared at Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Attorneys of Inland Empire, Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, and others regarding e-cigarette injuries.
• Mr. Bentley was lead counsel on behalf of 11 clients (2 adult church leaders and 9 high school students) involved in a tragic head-on collision on Highway 395, resulting in 4 deaths and major injuries to the survivors. Due to his litigation efforts, Mr. Bentley was able to uncover numerous Caltrans memorandums dating back to 1965 confirming Caltrans’ knowledge of the dangerous propensities of a 6” Type A dike along State highways, which caused wayward vehicles to violently “launch” back into oncoming traffic. This complex case resulted in 60 depositions, the production of thousands of documents and extensive expert workup. The matter settled against multiple defendants for an amount in excess of $20 million.
• In 2012, Mr. Bentley was successful in obtaining a $2.3 million jury verdict in Glendale Superior Court on behalf of a 26-year Monterey Park Police Sergeant who suffered severe injuries after being struck by an Athens Services truck that pulled away from the curb directly in front of the client driving on the wrong side of the road. The client suffered significant orthopedic and urological injuries, including fractures of both wrists and a torn urethra (Wiese et al. v. Athens Disposal Company, Inc. et al.).
• In 2014, Mr. Bentley and Mr. More successfully obtained a $3.8 million jury verdict on behalf of a former student of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District who suffered severe injuries to his right hand during metal shop class (Zavala v Newport-Mesa Unified School District –OC Register article).
• Believing that a Medical Group should not cut costs at the expense of medically necessary care, Mr. Bentley obtained a $820,000 jury verdict against a large Medical Group for their interference with a patient’s contractual rights to receive medical benefits under an HMO policy. His client suffered severe headaches for a long time and was wrongfully denied a timely brain MRI to diagnose what turned out to be a massive brain tumor (Medeiros v. Beaver Medical Group).
• In 2014, Mr. Bentley, Matthew Clark and Clare Lucich teamed up on a pro bono basis with the Inner City Law Center in representing 28 people in a lawsuit that sought to seek change in horrible living conditions. Due to the team’s litigation efforts, the matter settled on the eve of trial for nearly $4 million, including a global recovery for the clients in the amount of $680,000 in monetary damages, relocation benefits of $93,150 and a full $3,000,000 renovation of the building, including 100 units of newly refurbished affordable housing in Los Angeles. Mr. Bentley donated his fee to the Inner City Law Center to help it advance its worthy cause (Villegas, et al. v. Vista Cahuenga).
• Mr. Bentley frequently represents clients whose insurance company fails to defend them or settle cases filed against them for amounts within their policy limits. Through an assignment of rights and covenant not to execute, Mr. Bentley obtained a Judgment against American States Insurance Company in the amount of $6,196,175 for their failure to settle a case on behalf of an insured who caused severe injuries, including wrongful death, following a head-on collision (American States Insurance Co. v. H.L.C.D, Inc.).
• A staunch advocate for patient’s rights, in 2008, Mr. Bentley took on a major HMO representing over 90 patients who lost kidney transplant opportunities following the forced transfer of their care for cost saving purposes. The litigation efforts resulted in a $17 million settlement and the transfer of all patient care back to qualified hospitals.
• In 2017, Mr. Bentley secured a $67 million judgment against a contractor who negligently removed fall protection from a roofing project, resulting in his client suffering catastrophic injuries.
• In 2002, Mr. Bentley was part of the trial team that obtained a $47 million verdict ($17.1 million net) on behalf of a 16-year-old Boy Scout injured at a Local Council camping festival while diving into shallow water during a camp relay race. The jury held the Boy Scouts of America accountable for the unsafe competition.
• In 2023, Mr. Bentley achieved a $7,900,000 settlement on behalf of clients following a horrific accident with an LA Metro bus.  On September 1, 2019, an LA Metro bus operator fell asleep at the wheel, losing control of the nearly 50,000-pound bus as it drifted to the right side of the road at 30 miles per hour—ultimately slamming into a parked van, several other vehicles, and pedestrians surrounding a taco stand set up on the sidewalk.  Mr. Bentley represented several of the individuals catastrophically injured as a result of the driver’s inattentiveness, including a pedestrian who was slammed into the ground, rendered unconscious, and suffering a traumatic brain injury, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a displaced femur fracture, and fractured ribs, foot and hand.  The case settled after three years of litigation.
• In 2023, Mr. Bentley obtained a $1.45 million settlement from MiraDry, Inc. and Sientra, Inc. for a client who suffered permanent nerve damage due to the MiraDry System. The System, which uses microwave energy to destroy sweat glands in the underarms, has long been advertised as “safe,” with minimal, temporary side effects. Over three years of hard-fought litigation, including 10 motions to compel filed by our firm, we were able to uncover evidence that MiraDry knew for years that its product could cause permanent nerve damage, yet failed to warn patients or doctors of that risk, and even began recommending that the System be used in a manner that would maximize that risk.
• In 2023, Mr. Bentley achieved a $3.2 million settlement for a young woman who tragically fractured multiple ribs and suffered a L4-5 annular tear and cervical spine injuries requiring multiple injections when she was rear-ended on the freeway by a government employee.
• In 2022, Mr. Bentley and Ms. Lucich obtained a $2,548,400 jury verdict on behalf of a motorcycle rider who was hit by a commercial truck turning out of the HOV lane. The client suffered shoulder injuries, thoracic outlet syndrome and a traumatic brain injury. The verdict was reached after a $550k offer from the defendant’s insurance company and following a 998 Offer to Compromise served by the client in the amount of the $1 million policy limits of the adverse driver. Total judgment with 998 interests and costs exceeded $3.3 million.
• In 2022, Mr. Bentley achieved a $14,500,000 settlement on behalf of an elderly man hit by a truck while riding his bike. As the client was riding his bicycle approaching an intersection, a steel-framed truck was in front and to the left of him. The truck had its emergency flashers on (not its turn signal), with no indication that its driver had any intention of turning.  Suddenly, the truck made a hard turn to the right—immediately into the Client’s path striking and running over the client, causing a right lower leg degloving injury with exposed bone and muscle, major leg and pelvic fractures, and extensive other internal injuries.
• In 2022, Mr. Bentley obtained a confidential 8-figure policy limits settlement against building owner and product developer installing equipment over a skylight which shattered causing our client to fall 22 feet and becoming paralyzed. The case settled following the completion of 17 depositions, the workup of 6 experts and a policy limits C.C.P 998 Offer to Compromise.
• In 2022, Mr. Bentley achieved a $5 million settlement on behalf of a client who, while working on the roof of a school gymnasium, fell through a concealed massive hole in the roof falling16 feet onto the concrete floor. A contractor had cut that hole weeks earlier and shoddily placed a duct cart over the hole, concealing it from view and failing to warn of the hazard.   Despite that contractor and the general contractor’s obligation to safeguard such a danger—by installing a secure cover marked with a warning—the concealed hazard was left in place for 15 days until the tragic fall. The client suffered major lumbosacral fractures, a traumatic brain injury, a fractured pelvis, a fractured sternum, and a lifetime of back pain, memory loss, and other trauma.
• In 2021, Mr. Bentley achieved a $16,500,000 settlement with the City of Pasadena on behalf of his grievously injured client who was tragically injured in an accident while traveling westbound on Del Mar Blvd. in the City of Pasadena, California, approaching the intersection with Madison Ave. The intersection is controlled by a two-way stop on Madison, with no traffic control features on Del Mar. At the same time, the adverse driver was stopped at the stop sign on southbound Madison. Due to the design and features of the roadway and roadside, including a corner sight distance of less than half the recommended distance under either the national or state standards, the adverse driver was unable to see the Client approaching the intersection. Despite waiting for 29 seconds and repeatedly checking the intersection, as the adverse driver entered the intersection and attempted to cross the roadway, the Client’s motorcycle collided with the driver’s side door of the adverse vehicle. Had the City ensured proper vehicle sight distance, the adverse driver would have been able to see the Client’s oncoming motorcycle and avoid entering the intersection. The Client was also unable to see the adverse driver until it was too late due to those same visibility obstructions. The Client sustained severe trauma to his head and other parts of his body. He is quadriplegic and has a poor prognosis for neurological recovery. The $16,500,000 settlement is designed to provide care for the remainder of the Client’s life—allowing him to return home from a substandard Medi-Cal facility, and be embraced by family while receiving the care that he needs.
• In January 2020, Mr. Bentley recovered $6 million on behalf of a mother who’s nineteen-year-old daughter was killed when her car careened down an embankment on the mountain winding Bouquet Canyon Road crashing into a tree, causing her tragic death. Through 39 depositions, numerous expert studies and analysis, and local resident declarations, Mr. Bentley and his team established that the road constituted a dangerous condition for its lack of a guardrail. As a result of the litigation, the County of Los Angeles has now installed a guardrail on this mountain winding road, which if it had been in place at the time, would have prevented the tragic death. (Parks v. County of Los Angeles)
• In 2019, Mr. Bentley secured a $10.6 million settlement from construction defendants after a client was crushed in a construction site accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury and numerous orthopedic injuries. Plaintiff contended that the defendants were negligent in operating and supervising the construction site.