Vanni wins prestigious award

Gregory R. Vanni

Arcadian Gregory R. Vanni of the Pasadena firm Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & Powell was one of several lawyers named Consumer Attorney of the Year Saturday for their work to improve the safety of vehicles that run on compressed natural gas. The case that drew national attention ended with a settlement in May 2014 after six years that resulted in new safety standards. The announcement was made Saturday night at the awards dinner as part of Consumer Attorneys of California’s 53rd Annual Convention at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

In Solorio v. Lincoln Composites, et al., Vanni and Brian J. Panish and Deborah S. Chang of the Los Angeles firm Panish Shea & Boyle, and Gregory L. Bentley of the Claremont firm Shernoff Bidart Echeverria represented Jose Solorio, who lost his right leg and suffered other serious injuries when two compressed natural gas (CNG) vessels in his delivery van exploded while being filled in March 2009 at the Dy Dee Diaper Service in Pasadena.

The catastrophic ruptures occurring within the vessels’ service life called into question the safety of the existing standards, and the design, manufacturing, and testing processes for these all-plastic vessels in CNG vehicles and in future hydrogen vehicles. “They rushed these products to development” and the relationship between developers and regulators was “too cozy,” Vanni told Arcadia’s Best this week.

Vanni’s family moved to Arcadia when he was 11 and Gregory is a 1971 graduate of Arcadia High School. He was a longtime partner of Arcadia City Council Member Tom Beck before Beck retired from the law firm.

Consumer Attorney of the Year is awarded to a CAOC member or members who significantly advanced the rights or safety of California consumers by achieving a noteworthy result in a case. To be considered for the award the case must have finally resolved between May 15, 2013 and May 15, 2014, with no further legal work to occur, including appeals.

The case brought national attention to the issue of regulations and safety — and an investigation was launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and NASA’s White Sands Testing Facility. The handling attorneys conducted their own testing and analysis through experts from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Aerospace Corporation and others. The attorneys also provided funding for the investigation in the interest of public safety at a cost of nearly $2 million. The matter settled for a confidential amount and created an unprecedented database for NHTSA and NASA that identifies the conditions and flaws that lead to failure and can be used to save lives in the future.

— By Scott Hettrick