Quadriplegia
Decision: $4,341,919
Excess Surgifoam left in surgical patient resulted in quadriplegia (Johnson v. United States of America, Central District Federal Court, Plaintiff attorney: Sean M. Burke).
Unfair business competition
Decision: Defense
State of California alleged defendant motor carriers wrongfully classified their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees under Business and Professions Code Section 17200 et seq. (People of the State of California v. Pac Anchor Transportation Inc., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Defense attorney: Arthur A. Severance).
Employment retaliation
Settlement: $2,500,000
LAPD officer alleged severe harassment in retaliation for participating in an official inquiry into complaints of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the department (Bender v. City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Matthew S. McNicholas).
Fatal fall
Decision: Defense
Family of man who fell to his death from a ladder blamed a man they alleged was responsible for “spotting” decedent (Kay v. Sprinkle, San Joaquin County Superior Court, Defense attorney: Erin C. Barmby).
Business closures
Settlement: $4,250,000
Labor Commissioner sued title companies that went out of business for unpaid wages and benefits and for damages under the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act ("WARN") for failure to provide statutorily required notice of closures (State Labor Commissioner v. Alliance Title Co., Alameda County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: David M. Balter).
Tractor-trailer
Settlement: $10,100,000
Husband and wife in their seventies sustained serious injuries when their vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer backing out of a driveway (Wong v. Confidential, Sacramento County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Roger A. Dreyer).
Drunk driving
Settlement: $1,000,000
Saloon employee drank alcohol at work and caused a fatal vehicle collision (Wolowsky v. Bum Steer Restaurants Inc., San Diego County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Russell A. Gold).
Pool injury
Verdict: Defense
Man who broke his neck diving into his swimming pool sued the pool contractor for negligence (Johnson v. Mission Pools of Escondido Inc., San Diego County Superior Court, Defense attorney: Martin L. Hirsch).
Falling tree limb
Verdict: $3,767,167
Woman and minor daughter sitting on the lawn of their apartment complex were injured when a large limb snapped off a tree and fell on them (Martinez v. Gantz, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: P. Christopher Ardalan).
Truck defect
Verdict: $2,601,058
Forty-two-year-old motorcyclist was severely injured in an accident resulting from a manufacturing defect in a Ford F-350 truck (Friel v. Ford Motor Co., Orange County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Darren O. Aitken).
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.