Timothy Tietjen Nominated as a finalist for CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year

Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) is a legal advocacy group that champions California plaintiffs who have been wronged, whether because of negligence or intentional acts. Each year, the CAOC selects a “Consumer Attorney of the Year” from a group of exceptionally qualified candidates – and this year, we’re excited to share that our very own Timothy Tietjen has been nominated as one of the 6 finalists!

In order to be considered for this prestigious award, a prospective candidate must have achieved a particularly remarkable case result. The case result must also have advanced the rights or protected the safety of California residents in a meaningful way. Each finalist is selected by a group of legal professionals, including the CAOC Executive Committee, 6 randomly-chosen members of the CAOC Board of Governors, and representatives from the legal groups that won this award in the last three years.

Holding Land Owners Accountable for Hazards

This year, Tim Tietjen was nominated for his groundbreaking work on behalf of the plaintiff in Rowe v. Pacific Gas & Electric Company, et al. The case resulted from a 72-foot tree crushing 12-year-old Zachary Rowe’s leg while sleeping in a tent in San Mateo County Memorial Park. He required extensive surgeries to his leg, pelvis, and buttock in order to save his life. In the wake of these devastating injuries, Rowe’s family took legal action against utilities giant Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) for failing to properly maintain the area around its power lines. They also filed suit against San Mateo County for failing to maintain public property.

Although the defendants claimed that they were immune to these kinds of lawsuits, the First District Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Rowe and his family. The Appellate Court ruled that PG&E had a responsibility to remove hazardous trees that come within striking distance of their facilities. The Court also found that the County was not immune from the lawsuit and could be found liable for making artificial changes around the tree in question and increasing the risk of it falling. Thanks to Tim Tietjen, Zachary Rowe and his family received a record-breaking settlement for his catastrophic injuries.

Committed to Pursuing Justice for California Residents

Because of the two landmark Appellate rulings in this case, those who use recreational parks and facilities in California may now enjoy greater protections and stronger safety regulations. While CAOC will be announcing the official 2019 Consumer Attorney of the Year award on November 16^th, our team at Rouda Feder Tietjen & McGuinn would like to congratulate Attorney Tietjen on both the case result and on his selection as a CAOC finalist. By continuing to help injured clients in San Francisco and beyond, our firm hopes to make California a safer place for all residents.