Botched surgery
Settlement: $4,725,000
The perforation of the small bowel during gallbladder removal surgery eventually resulted in the amputation of the patient’s legs and fingers (McDaniels v. Castillo, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff’s attorney: Steven B. Effres).
Whistleblowing
Verdict: $3,399,945
A veteran LAPD officer claimed he was terminated in retaliation for testifying in a federal case, pursuant to a subpoena, concerning the unwritten overtime policy of the department (Romney v. Los Angeles Police Department, Central District Federal Court, Plaintiff’s attorney: Matthew McNicholas).
Brain damage
Verdict: $49,123,376
A 21-year-old pre-med student suffered traumatic brain damage and quadriplegia after one of two large trucks that collided with each other impacted the vehicle in which he was a rear-seat passenger (Bianchi v. Salazar Equipment Co. Inc., Santa Clara County Superior Court, Plaintiff’s attorney: Randall H. Scarlett).
Vehicle collision
Verdict: $1,500,005
A mother and her three children were injured when a driver ran a red light and struck their vehicle (Casanova v. Estate of John Richard Finnigan, Ventura County Superior Court, Plaintiff’s attorney: Donald G. Liddy).
Financial elder abuse
Verdict: $212,450
An 80-year-old retiree claimed that an insurance company sold him a product that was an unsuitable investment for an elderly person (Fountain v. Allianz Life Insurance Co., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff’s attorney: Christopher Sherwood Davis).
Stroke
Settlement: $1,025,000
A surgical patient suffered a debilitating stroke during “routine” resection of a tumor (Confidential v. Confidential, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff’s attorney: Christopher P. Yuhl).
Amusement ride
Settlement: $3,375,000
Parents and their five children were injured in the collapse of a truck-mounted portable amusement ride at a county fair (Milligan v. State of California, Calaveras County Superior Court, Plaintiff’s attorney: B. Robert Allard).
Defective chair
Settlement: $1,854,468
A concierge injured his back when the chair he used at the front desk broke, causing him to fall to the ground (Schoepke v. Ocean Towers Housing Corp., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff’s attorney: Geraldine Weiss).
Fatal fall
Settlement: $2,900,000
An ironworker fell to his death while installing bleachers for the new Stanford football stadium (Carter v. Vance Brown Builders, Santa Clara County Superior Court, Plaintiff’s attorney: Robert S. Arns).
Sciatic nerve
Settlement: $795,000
A 60-year-old woman sustained a severe injury to her sciatic nerve during hip replacement surgery (Confidential v. Confidential, Orange County Superior Court, Plaintiff’s attorney: Daniel M. Hodes).
Editor’s Note: California Bar Journal publishes this abbreviated summary of important trials in California provided by Trials Digest. To report your case results, go to west.thomson.com/trialsdigest/form.aspx or call 415-344-3952.