Overview

1998- : Sole practitioner in Temecula/Murrieta, specializing in civil litigation, including serious injury and death cases, commercial and business litigation, and consumer class action litigation.

1993-1995: Sole practitioner in San Diego, specializing in civil litigation, including personal injury and insurance defense.

Representative defense clients: Delta International Machinery; Collins General Contractors; Collins Development Company; La Jolla Development Company; Scottsdale Insurance Company.

1986-1993: Recruited as an associate and then a partner of what became a twenty-plus lawyer insurance defense firm in downtown San Diego; also represented personal injury victims.

Representative clients: Aetna Insurance Company; Travelers Insurance Company; Medtronic; Delta International Machinery; Bunn Corp.; City of Santee; Hensel-Phelps Construction Company; Collins General Contractors; Collins Development Company; La Jolla Development Company.

1983-1986: Sole practitioner, civil litigation, including personal injury, in San Diego.

Former San Diego Superior Court arbitrator.

Published articles on insurance bad faith and an area of law called "wrongful life."

J.D. Degree, University of San Diego, School of Law, 1983.

B.S. Degree, Business/Marketing, University of Colorado, 1979; graduated cum laude.

Mr. Wagner's experience representing claimants and defending large corporations and insurance companies gives him a tactical advantage, as he knows first-hand how both claimant attorneys and defense attorneys handle lawsuits. This experience also gives Mr. Wagner insight into how corporations and insurance companies evaluate claims and, along with Mr. Wagner's service as an arbitrator, allows him to realistically evaluate claims by being better able to see both sides of a case.

Trial Experience

Twenty-four civil trials:

•  9 Tried as sole trial counsel or lead trial counsel to verdict by jury
•  1 Acted as "second chair" to jury verdict
•  6 Tried as sole trial counsel to verdict by court
•  3 Settled during trial
•  5 Other disposition during trial short of verdict

Appellate Court Experience

Numerous cases before the California Courts of Appeal, including three resulting in opinions published in the official reports of California decisions: Angie M. v. Superior Court (1995) 37 Cal, App. 4th 1217; Gentry Construction Co. v. Superior Court (1989) 212 Cal. App. 3d 177; and City of Santee v. County of San Diego 211 Cal. App. 3d 1006.

Types of Cases With Which Experienced

Representing Claimants:
Product Liability-including tire tread separation; military equipment case; ski bindings; foreign objects in food; propane accident.

General Personal Injury-including motor vehicle; statutory rape; wrongful death.

Real Estate and Real Estate Fraud Litigation.

Consumer Class Action.

Commercial Litigation.

As Defense Attorney:
Product Liability-including, pacemakers and medical assistive devices; power equipment; vehicle brakes, tailgate lifts; commercial coffee and tea machines.

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death-including motor vehicle and road design; construction-site injury; premises liability; arson.

Attorney Malpractice.

Public Entity Defense (State of California, municipalities, and school districts).