Impaired driver
Settlement: $10.5 Million
A driver was injured when her vehicle was struck by a DHL van that ran
a red light and whose driver was under the influence of Vicodin and marijuana
(Magyary v. McKinley, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney:
Alexander R. Wheeler).
Child drowns
Settlement: $1 Million
A 13-year-old boy was trapped and left to drown when the intoxicated driver
of the vehicle plunged the car into an icy river (Landers v. Sozanski, Santa
Clara County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Timothy D. McMahon).
Fall through skylight
Settlement: $5 Million
A 45-year-old roofer tripped and fell through a non-weight-bearing
skylight, sending him almost 40 feet to the concrete floor below (Reyes v.
Allied West Paper Corporation, San Bernardino County Superior Court,
Plaintiff's attorney: Kevin R. Boyle).
Chain-reaction
Settlement: $1.25 Million
A driver who did not slow in time to avoid rear-ending a stopped
vehicle on I-280 caused a multiple car chain-reaction collision (Wilson-Males
v. Schindler Elevator Corporation, Santa Clara County Superior Court,
Plaintiff's attorney: Omar L. Habbas).
Crosswalk fatality
Settlement: $5 Million
A 65-year-old wife and mother of five was struck and killed in a
crosswalk by a Xerox van whose driver was under the influence of alcohol (Gomez
v. Xerox Corporation, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney:
Jeff Roberts).
Car drives over cliff
Settlement: $2.28 Million
A vehicle on a road owned by the County of Los Angeles that had been
withdrawn from public use drove off the side of a cliff in the Hollywood Hills,
went down a steep embankment, and landed on a neighbor's garage, killing the
driver and injuring the passenger (Cosham v. City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles
County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Otto L. Haselhoff).
Surgical death
Verdict: Defense
The family of a 67-year-old woman who underwent cardiac catheterization
alleged that failure to stop a post-surgical bleed resulted in her death (Dean
v. Nashed, Ventura County Superior Court, Defense attorney: Andrea D. Vazquez).
T-bone collision
Settlement: $2 Million
A 50-year-old man was seriously injured when his pickup was struck by a
vehicle that failed to yield the right-of-way (Bowden v. Tel Tec Security
Systems Inc., Kern County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Thomas
Schultz).
Shopper struck
Settlement: $1.25 Million
An 87-year-old shopper in front of a supermarket was injured when he
was struck by a store employee pushing a hand cart outside the store (Park v.
MSBK USA Inc., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Rahul
Raviudi).
Motorcycle collision
Verdict: $1.54 Million
A husband and wife on a motorcycle were injured when an AT&T van
suddenly pulled into their path, forcing them to take evasive maneuvers which
caused loss of control of the bike (Arakelian v. Pacific Bell Telephone
Company, Alameda County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Christopher C.
Watters).
Slip and fall
Verdict: Defense
A store manager at a mall alleged she was injured in a slip and fall on
some rainwater near the entrance to a store (Evans v. The Millard Group Inc.,
San Joaquin County Superior Court, Defense attorneys: Ramin Naderi and Richard
Jacobson).
Pedestrian in crosswalk
Verdict: $918,223
A professional track athlete was struck and injured in a crosswalk,
sustaining a career-ending knee injury (Vermeulen v. Germain, Los Angeles
County Superior Court, Plaintiff's attorney: Lars C. Johnson).
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.