Scott H. Z. Sumner
Partner
Location:
Walnut Creek, California
Phone:
925-932-6006
877-639-1737 (Toll Free)
877-639-1737 (Toll Free)
Fax:
925-932-3412
E-mail:
Partner in the law firm of Hinton Alfert Sumner & Kaufmann, with offices in Walnut Creek and San Francisco. Practicing products liability, and catastrophic personal injury. J.D., USD (cum laude, 1991); Hastings (visiting student 1990-91). Mr. Sumner has won jury trials, bench trials, and appellate arguments. An expert on the collateral source doctrine, helps draft and review legislation for CAOC involving medical and health insurance liens, and serves on CAOC's Amicus Committee in matters dealing with the collateral source rule and medical liens. CAOC Board of Governors, 2000-2006; Board of Directors, 2007. ACCTLA President, 2004.
Year Joined Firm
- 1990
Areas of Practice
- State and Federal Plaintiff's Personal Injury
- Catastrophic Personal Injury
- Product Liability
- Wrongful Death
- Premises Liability
- Construction and Industrial Accidents Highway Design Liability
- Spinal Injury; Severe Burns; Head Injury; Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists
- Insurance Coverage; Legal Malpractice; Government Tort Liability
Litigation Percentage
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- California, 1991
- Oregon, 1996
Education
- University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, California
- J.D. (Cum Laude) - 1991
- Honors: Visiting Student Hastings College of the Law, 1990-91
- University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
- B.A. - 1987
- Major: History and Political Science
Published Works
- Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions, Inc.
- Olsen v. Reid, 164 Cal.App.4th 200, 2008
- "Medi-Cal Liens Update", Plaintiff Magazine, September, 2009
- "Health Insurance and the Collateral Source Rule in California Tortured by Myth, Misrepresentation, and Misconception", Forum Magazine, May/June, 2009
- "Medical Special Damages Incurred' Under California Law: The Collateral Source Rule, Law of Contracts, and the Discount Myth", California Litigation, The Journal of the Litigation Section, State Bar of California, Vol. 21, No. 3, 2008
- "Reasonable Value of Medical Services the Hanif Issue at Issue", Article and Seminar Tour for CAOC, 2006
- "How Can Bill Clinton's Home State Help You With Medi-Cal Liens? (Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services (ADHS), et. al. v. Ahlborn)", Forum Magazine, May, 2006
- "Tort Reform = Corporate Welfare and Class Warfare", Forum Magazine, December, 2004
- "Handling County Hospital Liens", The Verdict, Summer, 2003
- "New Ways to Cut Health Insurer Liens", Forum Magazine, Spring, 2001
- "Overcoming Inadequate Insurance Coverage Through a Separate Loss of Consortium Claim", The Verdict, Fall, 1997
Representative Cases
Classes/Seminars
- Collateral Source Rule, CAOC, 2000 - Present
- Medical Reimbursement Claims, Various Trial Lawyer Assns., 2000 - Present
Honors and Awards
- SFTLA Champion of Justice Award, 2010
- CAOC Robert E. Cartwright, Sr. Award, 2009
- California Superlawyers, 2005 - Present
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Consumer Attorneys of California, Board of Governors, 1998 - Present
- Consumer Attorneys of California, Board of Directors, 2007 - Present
- American Association for Justice, Member
- Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Assoc., President, 2004
- Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Assoc., Board Member, 1997 - Present
- Public Justice Foundation
Pro Bono Activities
- Amicus Committee, 1998 - Present
