Westcal v. Heritage Life Insurance: Breach of Contract and Business Torts. The major component of the jury award constituted damages for intentional interference with prospective economic advantage. Only $1 million of the award constituted punitive damages. Motion for new trial or reduction in verdict denied.
Offer: 0 Demand: $5,000,000 Jury Verdict: $21,669,529
Harris v. FHP: Medical Malpractice resulting in premature delivery and significant injuries to child.
Offer: $1,400,000 Demand: $2,200,000 (998) Jury Verdict: $11,203,470
Martinez v. Ortega Trucking: Wrongful death of 12-year-old son. The sole plaintiff was the child's mother, a Spanish-speaking immigrant.
Offer: $100,000 Demand: $750,000 Jury Verdict: $2,200,000
Krause v. Diffenbaugh:Construction Defect. Wrongful death of a clerk who died in hardware store fire. Decedent was a young woman who was a part-time employee in the hardware store who was survived by a husband and two children.
Offer: $100,000 Demand: $1,000,000 (998) Jury Verdict: $3,097,549
Blue v. Standard Steel: 61-year-old laborer killed while attempting to unload huge steel rings from a railroad car. Plaintiff was the 64-year-old African American widow of the plaintiff who was legally blind.
Offer: $100,000 Demand: $450,000 Jury Verdict $2,469,000
Espino v. City of Los Angeles: Bicycle v. Parked Truck. Fractures to tibia, clavicle and cheek bones with closed head injury. Plaintiff was a Spanish-speaking immigrant who struck the suddenly opened driver's door of City vehicle.
Offer: 0 Demand: $500,000 Jury Verdict: $970,000
Hendricks v. Carlson: Wrongful Death. Vehicle swerved in front of a tractor trailer causing the driver to lose control, serve off the freeway bridge causing his death, leaving a 65-year-old widow. Offer: 0 Demand: $100,000 (policy) (998) Jury Verdict: $783,067
Herrera v. Foremost Machine: Product Liability. Plaintiff lost 3 fingers in a plastic grinding machine. Plaintiff was a Spanish-speaking laborer.
Offer: $245,000 at trial Demand: $600,000 (998) Jury Verdict: $1,150,000
Rose v. Sarkisian: Wrongful Death. 39-year-old woman passenger in a vehicle killed in a traffic accident leaving a 19-year-old independent son.
Offer: $100,000 Demand: $250,000 (policy) Jury Verdict: $627,000
Rupert v. Safeco Ins.: Breach of Contract and Bad Faith against insurance company for failing to properly settle property damage claim.
Offer: $100,000 Demand: $750,000 Jury Verdict: $1,250,000
Cruz v. Cramer: Product Liability. Food worker suffered crush injury to right hand in food packaging machine. Client was a Spanish-speaking immigrant.
Offer: $30,000 Demand: $325,000 (998) Court Trial: $735,000
Medina v. PhysicianCare Medical Group: Medical Malpractice. Inadequate post operative care after hand surgery caused Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
Offer: $120,000 Demand: $225,000 (998) Jury Verdict: $1,053,251
Gonzales v. Simon Container: Product liability. Hand pulled into a corrugated cardboard machine resulting in injury to left hand.
Offer: $200,000 Demand: $500,000 Jury Verdict: $650,000
Kolerich v. Jetco: Product Liability. Lack of adequate warning on fuel container causing explosion and burns to plaintiff.
Offer: $0 Demand: $300,000 Jury Verdict: $1,250,000
Lopez v. Finnegan: Medical Malpractice. Failure to properly treat emergency presentation of pregnant woman resulting in premature birth injuries (case tried in New Mexico).
Offer: $50,000 Demand: $5,000,000 Jury Verdict: $5,750,000
Gregory v. Douglas Oil: Plaintiff slipped and fell off top of an oil tanker. Defective design and unsafe loading site for oil loading.
Offer: $150,000 Demand: $750,000 Jury Verdict: $1,500,000
Kuhn v. Grays International: Construction Accident. Construction worker slipped and fell from a 25 foot climbing rig at construction site.
Offer: 0 Demand: $1,000,000 (998) Jury Verdict: $1,060,000
Goldman v. Dingman: Aviation. Engine failure and power loss after takeoff due to improper engine overhaul resulting in crash landing and nerve injury.
Offer: $200,000 Demand: $1,000, 00 (policy) Arbitration Judgment: $1,995,000
Jane Doe v. RBCB Assoc.: Premises Liability. Office worker raped while working late. Improper security by security company.
Offer: $100,000 Demand: None firm Jury Verdict: $600,000
Smith v. Wilmington Cab Co.: Taxi driver hit bicyclist rendering him a paraplegic. Defendant claimed plaintiff riding his bicycle on wrong side of road. Overcame independent contractor's defense. Offer: 0 Demand: $600,000 (998) Jury Verdict: $2,135,452
Kamachi v. Confidential: Private bus, contracted by city ran a yellow light broadsiding plaintiff' s vehicle causing quadriplegia. Defendant claimed plaintiff speeding and not wearing seat belt. Offer: $5,000,000 Demand: $10,000,000 Settlement: $9,000,000
Pugh v. Woodman: Motorcycle hits ladder on freeway which fell off a van.
Offer: $100,000 Demand: $200,000 (policy) Jury Verdict: $500,000
Blackburn v. State of California: Dangerous Condition. Motorcyclist hits railroad control box after driving off road at unmarked curve.
Offer: $75,000 Demand: $500,000 Jury Verdict: $810,000
Mast v. Cedars Sinai: Hospital Malpractice. 74-year-old died in ICU, a result of negligent nursing care.
Offer: $75,000 Demand: $225,000 (998) Jury Verdict: $500,000
CEA v. TCM Forklift: Product Liability. Fractured ankle when deadman brake of rebuilt forklift failed.
Offer: $0 Demand: $500,000 (998) Jury Verdict: $1,028,200
Aragon v. Joubert: Product Liability. Eye injury when bungee cord hook failed.
Offer: $50,000 Demand: $1,000,000 Jury Verdict: $958,000
Schwartz v. Garden Way: Product Liability. 70-year-old plaintiff lost fingers on left hand in a garden grinding machine. Product's design was changed after verdict.
Offer: $200,000 Demand: $600,000 Jury Verdict: $650,000
Maciel v. Wilkins: Dog attack. 25-year-old postal carrier chased by a dog, caused client to jump off a porch and suffer a non-displaced fracture of the tibial plateau in the knee.
Offer: $25,0000 Settlement: $230,00.
Hernandez v. Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences: Auto collision. 62-year-old client was in a parked vehicle when it was hit head-on by an Academy van being driven by an employee without permission who was unlicensed. The client suffered chest contusion and fracture of the talus bone in his right foot requiring surgery.
Offer: $0 increased to $325,000 Settlement: $775,000
Mendoza v. Frize: Industrial accident. 17-year-old painter’s helper touched a 240 volt busbar resulting in a burn injury to his hand.
Offer: $0 Result: Satisfaction of judgment after jury trial and appeal: $864,491 in addition to prior settlement with anotherparty for $350,000
Gralnik v. City of Los Angeles and Avila: Dangerous sidewalk. 72-year-old woman tripped on broken sidewalk and broke her hip requiring surgery.
Offer: $25,000 Settlement: $100,000
Ronnie N. v. Does: Medical Malpractice. 45-year-old man suffered brain damage as a result of defendants' failure to diagnose and treat bacterial meningitis.
Settlement: $4,000,000
Greg C. v. Second Chance Body Armor and Toyobo: Product Liability. 41-year-old detective shot in the line of duty suffered severe injuries when his bullet proof vest failed.
Settlement $2,285,000, plus $500,000 in Workers' Compensation benefits
Victor A.v. Second Chance Body Armor and Toyobo: Product Liability. 29-year-old police officer shot in the line of duty suffered injuries when his bullet proof vest failed.
Settlement: $775,000
Emad v. Doe Construction: Automobile Accident. Plaintiff was hit head-on, by a vehicle that crossed a double yellow line on a two-lane highway, resulting in a broken leg.
Settlement: $925,000
Tony C. v. Doe Hotel: Hotel Liability. 78-year-old man was scalded in hotel's shower in rural Colorado where case was litigated.
Settlement: $900,000
Dorothy, Alfred and Nicolas S. v. Does: Automobile v. Pedestrian. Wrongful death of an 8-year-old boy who was hit and killed by a vehicle as he ran across the street. Plaintiffs were the parents and the one brother who witnessed the accident.
Settlement $850,000
Victoria M. v. Does: Medical Malpractice. 55-year-old woman suffered Complex Regional Pain Syndrome as the result of unnecessary and improperly performed shoulder surgery. Settlement: $625,000
Leopoldo B. v. Does: Medical Malpractice. 76-year-old man was left unattended, unsupervised, and alone in hospital when he fell from a portable toilet and suffered mild brain injury.
Settlement: $600,000
Verna S. v. Does: Medical Malpractice . Wrongful death of a 44-year-old father and husband caused by defendants ' failure to timely and properly diagnose and treat appendicitis. Settlement: $500,000
Denise M. v. Does: Medical Malpractice. 47-year-old man died as a result of physician's failure to properly monitor heart condition, and make a timely referral for transplant surgery.
Settlement: $450,000
Mary R. v. Does: Product Liability. 65-year-old woman fractured leg when she fell from motor home due to retracted steps.
Settlement: $385,000
Robert T. v. Doe Restaurant: Automobile Accident. 50-year-old man suffers chipped teeth and a compression fracture to his lumbar spine as the result of defendant running a red light.
Settlement: $337,500
Tyrone P. v. Does: Motorcycle Accident. 73-year-old non-dependent father of 45-year-old motorcyclist brought action for the wrongful death of his son.
Settlement: $325,000
Sara C. v. Does: Premises Liability. 57-year-old woman fell down stairs at neighbor's house, suffering fractured ankle.
Settlement: $280,000
Deschene v. Gas Company: Burn Injury. 42-year-old man operating road pulverizer hit a gas line on city street which was improperly placed and marked by the Gas Company. A gas cloud enveloped the man on the road pulverizer and ignited, causing flash burn injuries.
Settlement: $1,100,000
Confidential v. Confidential: Medical Malpractice. Birth injury caused to baby boy when mother was not treated with antibiotics during labor and delivery despite having tested positive for Group B streptococci during prenatal care. Failure to render such treatment resulted in baby developing Group B streptococci sepsis which, in turn, left plaintiff with learning disabilities and developmental delays.
Settlement:$962,000
Confidential v. Confidential: Medical Malpractice/Battery. 14-year-old girl is scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery on her right knee. The surgeon performs surgery on her left knee instead and removed cartilage from the healthy knee.
Settlement: $249,000
Medina v. Reed's Inc.: Product Liability: 38-year-old cabinet maker injured when a bottle cap flew off bottle striking the man in the eye causing vision impairment. Settlement: $375,000
Niimiya v. Galicia: 35-year-old production manager hit by a pickup truck while crossing the street which resulted in a left leg fracture. The defense relied upon an independent eye witness who said that Plaintiff darted out in front of the vehicle and was well outside of any marked crosswalk.
Settlement: $100,000
Confidential v. Confidential: Medical Malpractice. Woman dies from lack of post-operative care following gastric bypass surgery. Her husband and two sons recover the MICRA limits of $250,000 by way of settlement.
Davis v. CLS Transportation.: Automobile Accident. Woman sitting in her car at stop sign, hit head on after Mercedes runs stop sign. Client suffered herniation of disk in her cervical spine. Settlement: $250,000
Wise v. Wartsilia North America: Product liability. While at work, woman's hand was pulled into paper winder causing a crush injury.
Settlement: $575,000
Hodson v. Dreyer: 90-year-old man struck in Trader Joe's supermarket parking lot resulting in a broken hip requiring open fixation with pins.
Settlement: $750,000 within four months of filing suit.
Confidential medical malpractice: 70-year-old woman underwent low back epidural injections for pain under monitored anesthesia care and stopped breathing and suffered brain damage. Case settled against pain management surgeon and anesthesiologist.
Settlement: $1,140,000
