Severson and Werson

Jeane Struck, Member in the firm’s Construction and Insurance practice groups, specializes in the litigation of professional liability, construction defect, product liability, premises liability, recreational liability, habitability and garage liability claims.  In defending professional liability claims Ms. Struck has represented architects, geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, civil engineers, physicians, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists and massage therapists.

Ms. Struck was previously a shareholder at Grunsky, Ebey, Farrar and Howell in Santa Cruz County, and Of Counsel at Selman Breitman, LLP in San Francisco. She also worked as a senior litigator at Mac Morris & Carbone in San Francisco, house counsel for California State Automobile Association, where her work included the representation of CSAA in first party litigation and the analysis of proposed legislation.

Ms. Struck is active in the Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada, serving on its Board of Directors from 1990-1994 and 2004-2009. Ms. Struck is also a member of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.  She has lectured at seminars sponsored by the ADCNC and SFTLA, and for private continuing education providers. Ms. Struck previously served as a settlement conference judge and arbitrator for the Santa Cruz County Superior Court, and presently serves as a settlement conference panelist for the San Francisco and Marin County courts.

Ms. Struck practices primarily in the area of:

Construction and Insurance Litigation: Ms. Struck specializes in the litigation of construction defect, product liability, premises liability, garage liability, recreational liability and professional liability claims.

Ms. Struck's specific experience includes:

Product Liability: Defense and advice to product manufacturers and suppliers regarding product safety and product defect claims.

Professional Liability: Defense of professionals including architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, engineering geologists, psychotherapists, massage therapists, aestheticians, nurses, emergency room physicians and other professionals against errors and omissions, standard of care and other claims.

General Liability: Property and Casualty. Defense of a wide ranging variety of property and personal injury claims arising out of recreational activities, motor vehicle accidents, and premises, product and professional liability claims, resulting in psychiatric injuries, catastrophic physical injuries and death.

Construction Litigation: Representing design professionals, building product manufacturers and contractors in construction defect, delay and product liability claims.

Biographical Information:

Employment History:
Member, Severson & Werson, 2006
Of Counsel, Selman Breitman, LLP, San Francisco, 2002-2006
Senior Litigator, Mac Morris & Carbone (Staff Counsel, California State Automobile Association), San Francisco, 1996-2002
Grunsky, Ebey, Farrar & Howell, Watsonville, CA, 1983-1996 (Shareholder 1989-1996)

Education: B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz, 1977; J.D., Santa Clara University, 1983.

Admitted to Practice: California, 1983.

Professional Affiliations: Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California & Nevada – Board of Directors: 1990-1994, and 2004-2009  (ADCNC) (Recipient of the 2008 President's Award for Distinguished Service); Defense Research Institute (DRI); San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (SFTLA); State Bar of California.

Settlement Conference Panelist, San Francisco and Marin County County Superior Courts; previously served as a Settlement Conference Judge & Arbitrator, Santa Cruz County Superior Court.

• Handled the defense of claims alleging catastrophic injuries and death as a consequence of formaldehyde and carbon monoxide exposures.

• Obtained a favorable settlement on behalf of a dive club and dive coach following a diving accident at a public pool. The plaintiff, who was rendered a high level quadriplegic, was subsequently awarded more than 20 million against the remaining public entity defendant at trial.

• Handled the defense of claims involving full facial reconstruction as a consequence of injuries sustained while zip lining and the defense of  gymnastic facilities with claims ranging from amputation to paraplegia.

• Participated in a multi law firm defense of a university professor and researcher whose investigation of a claimed "recovered memory" resulted in litigation. The original denial of defendant's Anti-Slapp motion eventually resulted in a published opinion issued by the California Supreme Court in defendant's favor.

• Obtained a walk away settlement of a case on behalf of a massage therapist whose cranial massage allegedly resulted in plaintiff's bells palsy, resulting in permanent facial paralysis, after deposing plaintiff's medical expert. The doctor, the chair of his department at Stanford University Hospital, changed his opinion regarding the causation of his patient's injuries during his cross examination based on the known incubation period for the herpes zoster virus.

• Obtained a voluntary dismissal on behalf of all defendants during expert discovery in a case filed on behalf of a professional jockey who sustained permanent and disabling head injuries at a race track.

• Recently obtained a binding arbitration award in a case involving the defense of a geotechnical engineer, in which a retired appellate court justice upheld the applicability of a limitation of liability clause to all work performed by the geotechnical engineer, including claims brought the plaintiff spouse who did not sign the contract.