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Trials Digest

 

Van rollover

Verdict: $73,063,649

Death, injuries resulted when tire tread separation caused a Ford Econoline van to roll over (Mauro v. Ford Motor Company, Sacramento County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Roger A. Dreyer).

Sexual assault

Verdict: $67,360,000

A patient who was sexually assaulted by a Certified Nursing Assistant made a television plea that caused numerous other victims to come forward (Confidential v. Encino Tarzana Regional Medical Center, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Michael J. Piuze).

Flesh-eating bacteria

Verdict: $8,239,069

A patient who died from necrotizing fasciitis was examined and transferred to multiple hospitals without receiving the necessary diagnosis and treatment (Camargo v. Brim Healthcare, Riverside County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Stephen G. Root).

Quadruple amputation

Settlement: $10,000,000

A two-year-old girl sat in the waiting room of an emergency room for five hours before being seen, by which time her infection had become severe enough to require a quadruple amputation (Jeffers v. Catholic Healthcare West, Sacramento County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Moseley C. Collins III).

Breach of contract

Verdict: $9,263,345

A multi-national corporation with an exclusive distribution arrangement with a small medical products company was sued for breach of contract for failing to use its best efforts and instead trying to maximize its own profits by entering into direct partnerships with members of the medical community (Allmed Systems Inc. v. Healthtronics Inc., Alameda County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: J. Gary Gwilliam).

Train traps foot

Verdict: $5,328,619

A man's foot wedged between the boarding platform and an MTA train due to the operator not checking to see if passengers were clear of the boarding platform when the brain began to proceed forward (Nesbitt v. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Jeffrey S. Pop).

Pedestrian struck

Verdict: $7,381,116

A casino patron was struck in a crosswalk of the establishment by a parking attendant (Fretz v. The Minuteman Parking Company, Riverside County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Joseph Daniel Davis).

Drug sting

Verdict: $1,015,250

A 12-year-old student who reported drug sales at his school to administrators was asked to participate in a sting, using the boy as bait to purchase marijuana, without the knowledge of law enforcement or the boy's parents (Confidential v. Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Alexander G. Calfo).

Tank explosion

Settlement: $1,000,000

A man was killed instantly in an explosion when a storage tank with weakened integrity was filled with pressurized air (Morgun v. Conner's Manufacturing Inc., Fresno County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Stephen R. Cornwell).

Car lands on car

Settlement: $2,900,000

A driver stopped at a red light was killed and several of his passengers were injured when a vehicle unable to stop in time collided with the median, which launched her vehicle into the air, landing on decedent's vehicle (Seneff v. Porter, Riverside County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: R. Michael Bomberger).

Slip and fall

Verdict: $1,389,717

A 72-year-old customer at Costco slipped and fell outside the entrance to the store while attempting to avoid being struck by a store employee pushing a flatbed cart (Adams v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Mariana Aroditis).

Truck v. motorcycle

Verdict: $4,696,229

A 30-year-old motorcyclist was severely injured when a Freightliner tractor pulling a tanker that crossed the double yellow line and collided with him (DaSilva v. Ornelas, San Mateo County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Anna Dubrovsky).

Editors 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.