It took a Riverside Federal Court jury two-and-half days after a six-week trial to exonerate Crane Composites Inc. from claims of breach of contract and fraud in a lawsuit accusing the company of designing and selling defective sidewall material used to manufacture recreational vehicles. Crane Composites is a subsidiary of Crane Co.
This case featured some of California's most prominent litigators, including Alexander Calfo and James Yukevich of Yukevich Calfo & Cavanaugh representing Crane Composites, and Daniel Petrocelli of O'Melveny & Myers representing the plaintiff, National RV Inc.
The jury held unanimously that Crane Composites was not liable for $28 million in compensatory damages sought by National RV for breach of contract, intentional misrepresentation, or concealment. It further held that National RV was not entitled to recover punitive damages, rejecting National RV's bid to recover a multiple of its $28 million demand. The jury found Crane Composites liable only for its product warranties, and granted National RV the recovery of $3.1 million.