Sandra L Weiherer is Counsel in the Los Angeles Office of DeForest Koscelnik Yokitis Skinner & Berardinelli. Ms. Weiherer concentrates her practice on litigation in the areas of products liability involving chemical exposure, pharmaceutical and homeopathic products, medical devices, aircraft engines, heavy equipment and other machinery.  She also handles general commercial litigation matters in both federal and state court.

Products Litigation.  Over the last decade, Sandra has defended Fortune 500 companies in a variety of pharmaceutical, consumer products and toxic tort matters.  She has significant experience handling complex litigation cases involving claims of exposure to chemical products, asbestos, silica and other substances.  She also has experience defending general aviation manufacturers in product liability cases.  Sandra has specialized knowledge of California Unfair Competition Law and Consumer Legal Remedies Act in the context of class action lawsuits.

Commercial Litigation.  Sandra has represented a number of insurance carriers in breach of contract actions and insurance coverage disputes.

Achievements/Representative Cases

• Successfully represented international manufacturer of heparin needle by prevailing on a forum non conveniens motion which effectively and efficiently disposed of case.
• Negotiated favorable settlement for German manufacturer of light aircraft engines in a case brought by paraplegic for injuries sustained in crash due to alleged defects in engine.
• Focused on medical causation issues related to chemical exposures and various medical diseases and conditions such as Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and aplastic anemia.
• Responsible for preparing and responding to discovery in large coordinated proceeding with multiple pharmaceutical manufacturers involving products liability allegations.
• Negotiated multiple favorable settlements for chemical product manufacturers in cases involving negligence, strict liability, fraudulent concealment and breach of warranties causes of action.
• Defended large insurance company in federal court case involving underlying wage and hour class action claims.
• Successfully argued a strenuously opposed petition to have a newspaper declared a paper of general circulation in state court.
• Defended international air carriers in various personal injury and cargo actions governed under Warsaw Convention.

In General.  Sandra received her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994 and her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1998.  Sandra is a member of the California Bar and admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California and all of the state courts for California.  She is a member of the American Bar Association and Los Angeles County Bar Association.  Sandra is also a member of Defense Research Institute and California Legal Defense Fund.