CALIFORNIA CASES

Speeding police car

Settlement: $13,000,000

A Hawthorne Police Department police cruiser traveling in excess of 70 mph without any emergency lights or sirens broadsided another vehicle causing that other vehicle to split in half killing the driver; defendants claimed the decedent was at fault (Preza v. City of Hawthorne, Los Angeles County Superior Court, plaintiff attorney:  Brian J. Panish).

Hand crush

Settlement: $2,000,000
A shuttle van operator closed a van door on plaintiff's left hand causing a crush injury to her index and middle fingers and allegedly complex regional pain syndrome (Fitch-Hutton v. PM Hospitality Strategies Inc., Orange County Superior Court, plaintiff attorneys:  James P. Carr/Tyler J. Barnett).

Excessive force claim

Verdict: Defense

Plaintiff claimed police officers broke his arm, sprained his shoulder, used a choke hold to render him unconscious and then maliciously prosecuted him for resisting arrest (Rezek v. City of Tustin, Central District Federal Court, defense attorney:  Robert L. Kaufman).

Cheerleader suit

Settlement: $1,250,000

Plaintiffs Raiderettes claimed the Oakland Raiders violated numerous labor laws including wage violations, overtime violations, failure to provide meal and rest breaks, and unlawful deductions (L.T. v. Oakland Raiders, Alameda County Superior Court, plaintiff attorney:  Sharon R. Vinick).

Lacerated liver

Settlement: $450,000

Plaintiff allegedly suffered a lacerated liver, hemothorax and several other injuries when the limousine bus in which he was a passenger collided with a big rig at 55 mph (Gaeta v. Smith d/b/a The Limousine Scene, Kern County Superior Court, plaintiff attorney:  Matthew C. Clark).

Elder abuse

Settlement: $1,823,000

A 90-year-old board and care resident allegedly underwent improper surgeries which led to his death (Confidential v. Confidential, Los Angeles County Superior Court, plaintiff attorney:  Carl A. McMahan).

Indemnity sought

Verdict: Cross-Defense

In the underlying action, cross-defendant's vehicle was rear-ended by a tow truck causing an 11-year-old to be ejected; Farmers Insurance settled for $850,000 on behalf of the tow truck operator, but then cross-complained against cross-defendant for indemnity claiming that if driver/mother had seat belted her 11-year-old, the child would not have been injured (McNeil v. DiVirgilio, San Bernardino County Superior Court, Cross-defense attorney:  A.J. Pyka).

Trash truck

Verdict: $479,000

Plaintiff alleged that defendant's driver of a sanitation truck crossed a double yellow line and ran plaintiff off the road and into a utility pole causing knee, back and neck injuries (Eze v. D&G Sanitation, Santa Cruz County Superior Court, plaintiff attorney:  Brad C. Brereton).

Disability discrimination

Decision: $323,858

Plaintiff claimed that defendant employer failed to accommodate plaintiff's disability which resulted from an on-the-job injury to her right arm (Macias v. Wella Corp., Los Angeles County Superior Court, plaintiff attorney:  Robert S. Scuderi).

Cab passenger killed

Verdict: Defense
A heavily intoxicated cab passenger exited a cab to vomit, refused to return, wandered onto Highway 101, and ultimately was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver; jury found defendant cab driver/company to be negligent but that negligence was not a substantial factor in causing the death (Quintanar v. Absolute Cab L.L.C., Santa Barbara County Superior Court, defense attorney:  Robert T. Bergsten).

NATIONAL CASES

School funding

Settlement: $40,500,000

Through a mediated settlement, the parties resolved a 25-year dispute over school funding; plaintiff initially demanded $26.6 million and defendant initially offered $1.7 million; settlement for $40.5 million plus an additional $8.5 million in anticipated sales tax revenue for plaintiff (Rowan-Salisbury Bd. of Educ. v. Rowan Bd. of Comm'rs, North Carolina – Rowan County Superior Court, plaintiff attorneys:  Richard A. Schwartz/Brian C. Shaw).

Reverse discrimination claim

Verdict: Defense

Plaintiff, a female Caucasian CPA, alleged her supervisor, afraid of being accused of racism, engaged in reverse discrimination; jury found that plaintiff's race or color was not a motivating factor in defendant's decision to terminate her employment (Bassett v. Hunt Consolidated Inc., Texas – Dallas County District Court, defense attorneys:  Michael K. Hurst/Rachel D. Ziolkowski).