Quadriplegia
Settlement: $1,230,000
Forty-year-old motorist was left quadriplegic after her vehicle was struck by a van, causing her to be ejected, at an allegedly dangerous intersection in the City of Fullerton (Harris v. Sellami, Orange County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Louanne Masry).
Delayed diagnosis
Verdict: $2,357,000
Misreading of Pap slides by pathologist led to a three-year delay in diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer (Spears v. Grossmont Hospital Corp., San Diego County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Cynthia Chihak).
Forklift accident
Settlement: $5,000,000
Worker sustained devastating injuries when he was struck by a box containing a 473-pound. range that fell from a forklift (Barrera v. The Montague Co., San Francisco County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Ronald H. Rouda).
Persistent vegetative state
Verdict: Defense
Woman in labor with her first child was allegedly left in a persistent vegetative state due to a failure to adequately monitor and treat her pre-eclampsia (Ponvattana v. Bode, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Defense attorney: David J. O’Keefe).
Employment contract
Settlement: $1,800,002
Construction company executive alleged breach of Shareholders and Retirement Agreements (Barnes v. Johnson, Barnes & Finch Inc., San Diego County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Spencer C. Skeen).
Environmental violations
Settlement: $19,500,000
State of California assessed civil penalties against several oil companies for numerous failures in underground storage tank systems at gas stations in California (The People of the State of California v. Equilon Enterprises LLC, Alameda County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Edmund G. Brown Jr.).
Gender discrimination
Settlement: $700,000
Male captain at Los Angeles County Fire Department claimed he was retaliated against for his strict treatment of female trainees (Cappon v. City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Gregory W. Smith).
Building collapse
Decision: Defense
Owners of a building near Edwards Air Force Base alleged that damage to the building was a result of supersonic flights flying overhead that violated height restrictions (Harper Lake LLC v. United States of America, Central District Federal Court, Defense attorney: Thomas P. O’Brien).
Sexual abuse
Settlement: $1,125,000
Student was sexually abused by his teacher from eighth through 12th grade (Confidential v. La Habra City School District, Orange County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: David M. Ring).
Editor's Note: California Bar Journal publishes this abbreviated summary of important trials in California provided by Trials Digest, a Thomson West business. To report your case results, go to west.thomson.com/trialsdigest/form.aspx or call 415-344-3952.