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Frantz Law Group’s Impactful Legal Battles in Transport and Social Media

In an era when legal battles have the power to shape our societal landscape, Frantz Law Group, APLC, is making headlines with two landmark cases. Each highlights the firm’s commitment to addressing crucial societal issues, and each sends a hopeful message to communities that are often overlooked or marginalized.

The first is a wrongful death suit following the tragic death of a Modesto man in a highway collision. Frantz Law Group obtained a historic multimillion-dollar jury verdict that became a powerful statement against negligence in the trucking industry. In another formidable legal front, Frantz Law Group is taking a bold stance against the titans of the digital age, going to battle against social media giants to protect the mental and emotional health of children and adolescents.

Both cases underscore the critical role of legal expertise in challenging negligent behaviors and setting new safety precedents. With its involvement in these two distinct yet equally pivotal lawsuits, Frantz Law Group demonstrates a steadfast commitment to championing the causes of the less powerful.

A Tragic Collision: Unveiling the Truth

Take the case of Pedro Avila, a decorated Army combat veteran with tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. James Frantz, lead trial counsel at Frantz Law Group, describes the thirty-six-year-old Avila as a patriot and a hero. “He enlisted in the Army when he was twenty. After 9/11, he wanted to serve his country. He was a great guy, a wonderful husband, and father to six kids.”

In January of 2019, Avila lost his life in a catastrophic collision with a tractor-trailer on California SR-99. The vehicle was operated by an unqualified driver who failed to respond to multiple warning systems indicating the truck was running out of fuel. After the engine failed, the truck stopped on a dark highway and partially blocked the road, leading to the fatal accident. “They had a driver on the road that had insufficient training driving a 25,000-pound truck,” says Frantz. To make matters worse, the trucking company attempted to cover up details of the collision, even falsifying and back-dating safety and inspection reports. “Not trained to check their equipment, no warning capabilities to warn other drivers when they’ve broken down … and they created phony reports saying they had safety warning equipment on board … and now we have this disaster,” says Frantz. “It should never have happened.”

© DavidHartig.com

Historic Verdict: A Turning Point in Road Safety

With the expert guidance of Frantz Law Group, Avila’s family sought justice, culminating in the largest jury verdict in San Joaquin County Superior Court history for a wrongful death trial involving a tractor-trailer collision. The verdict resonates deeply with anyone concerned about road safety, but it also highlights a critical issue in the trucking industry: the need for responsible driving and adherence to safety protocols.

“I’m hopeful [that] the publicity of the verdict will send a message to other trucking companies to change their bad behaviors, to follow the rules,” Frantz says before adding a warning: “Don’t cut corners, and certainly don’t try to cover up your mistakes—own up.”

The heartbreaking incident that claimed the life of Pedro Avila sparked a significant five-week jury trial in San Joaquin County. The jury returned its verdict for the family of this patriot and war veteran on 9/11/2023. The victory is more than a legal triumph. It’s a significant step forward to safer roadways. Thanks to Frantz Law Group, the case has become a beacon of hope for accident victims and a stern warning to those who compromise road safety.

Social Media Under Scrutiny: The Pioneering Lawsuit

While Frantz Law Group continues to champion the rights of those harmed by road accidents, its legal acumen extends to accountability in the virtual world. The firm’s involvement in a lawsuit against social media giants focuses on digital highways, where the safety and well-being of our youth are at stake.

Standing at the vanguard in the fight against the pernicious effects of unchecked social media engagement, Frantz Law Group is representing more than 800 school districts nationwide in their lawsuits against social media companies like Meta (Facebook’s parent company), TikTok, and YouTube. This groundbreaking legal challenge, filed in the Federal District Court in San Francisco and in state court in Los Angeles, alleges that these social media platforms have significantly contributed to a mental health crisis among students. It points to an alarming rise in anxiety, depression, self-harm, bullying, body dissatisfaction, and other mental health issues linked to the usage of these platforms.

Frantz Law Group attorney William Shinoff explains how the platforms target young people. “Their algorithms are intentionally addictive—they’re made in a way to make sure that users are constantly on their platforms, especially children.” According to Shinoff, “intentional” is the key word here. “The fact is that [social media companies] have conducted their own internal research and studies on how to make sure they’re keeping children on the platforms while being fully aware of the associated harms. Instead of making it safer for children (students), they ignore the harms, and, consequently, we are now witnessing a massive mental health crisis of students within the school system.”

© DavidHartig.com

A United Front: Surgeon General’s Advisory and National Support

In support of the school district claims, the lawsuit references a series of studies and reports, including the May 2021 advisory by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy which outlines the detrimental effects of social media on vulnerable youth. The report explicitly highlights a former Meta employee’s congressional testimony that reveals private and internal research about the harmful impact of Meta’s products on teenagers, especially girls.

The lawsuit is at the forefront of a growing movement seeking to hold social media companies accountable for their content and its impact on users. Since the Surgeon General’s advisory, attorneys general across the United States have rallied to the cause. “We have forty states, forty attorneys general with us. We are greatly encouraged that government entities have joined this litigation,” Frantz says with confidence that the tide is turning against the digital platforms to the benefit of 8.5 million students enrolled in the school districts represented by Frantz Law Group.

The litigation seeks not only accountability and change in social media behavior but also to mitigate the ongoing damage in school districts across the country. “For the school districts, our clients are seeking injunctive relief, pursuant to federal and state court orders requiring them to take specific measures to make these social media platforms safer for children,” Shinoff says. “Unfortunately, school districts’ funding to address these mental health problems is extremely limited. The school districts want to provide greater mental health resources and staffing for the affected students.”

These lawsuits filed by Frantz Law Group (on behalf of more than 800 school district clients) are pivotal to safeguarding the well-being of millions of students across the United States. As the legal proceedings unfold, the outcome of this litigation should herald a new era of accountability and responsibility on the part of social media companies, ultimately leading to significant safety changes in the way these platforms operate and affect our children.

Beyond the Courtroom: Inspiring Societal Change

Frantz Law Group’s advocacy in cases like these not only aims to deliver justice to affected and harmed parties but also to inspire broader societal changes. Whether fighting for a grieving family seeking justice for a lost loved one or representing hundreds of school districts against the overwhelming power of tech giants, the firm has consistently shown a deep commitment to equitable justice. The firm stands as guardians for those who might otherwise be overwhelmed by the weight of larger, more powerful entities.

“I have been doing this work for forty-four years, and it’s a joy every day to assist people that are in a bad way,” Frantz says, reflecting on his own adolescence. “When someone is picking on you, you don’t want them to get away with it. You fight back. Some of these people have no one to fight back [for them], so they have us fight back. I feel honored when they choose us to join their battle … and when we go to battle, we do not screw around.”

© DavidHartig.com