Bio Sketch

Ms. Wurtzler has more than 15 years experience defending personal injury, medical monitoring and property damage toxic tort cases. Substances at issue in one or more of these cases include chlorinated solvents (PCE, TCE, TCA, and DCE), nitrates, PCB’s, metals and/or petroleum hydrocarbons. Recent chlorinated solvent and petroleum hydrocarbon cases all involve potential vapor intrusion from groundwater contamination underneath residences. To date, Ms. Wurtzler has been the lead defense lawyer in more than 20 toxic tort personal injury cases and more than 25 toxic tort property damage cases. She has had significant roles in many other property damage cases, particularly in the areas of damages, toxicology and risk assessment. Together with other DGS lawyers, she has tried two of these cases in which the jury returned a verdict of no loss of property value.

Ms. Wurtzler also has more than 15 years experience defending natural resource damages claims and prosecuting and defending cost recovery claims under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) as well as similar state statutes. She works with economic experts on issues concerning injury determination and quantification of NRD and with remediation and terrestrial and aquatic wildlife experts on restoration measures. She has negotiated consent decrees and administrative consent orders with government agencies and settlement agreements among PRPs.

Ms. Wurtzler has worked on a number of brownfields projects ranging in size from a 72-mile long recreational trail to rehabilitation of a former auto dealership in a small mountain town. To implement these projects, Ms. Wurtzler has negotiated cleanup levels, environmental covenants and other institutional controls, and covenants not to sue. She has obtained reimbursements under programs such as Colorado’s Petroleum Storage Tank Fund.

For a full description of Ms.Wurtzler's practice, please click on her full profile below.