Van rollover
Verdict: $4,697,347
Forty-eight-year-old professor on a field trip in an Econoline van was left a quadriplegic after the van rolled over and he was pinned in his seat by the collapsed roof (Lee v. California Institute of Technology, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Christine Spagnoli).
Fall through skylight
Settlement: $2,650,000
Ten-year-old boy fell 11 feet through a skylight on the roof of his apartment building that lacked adequate protective barriers (Confidential v. RAC Enterprises LLC, Orange County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Christopher R. Aitken).
Short deliberations
Verdict: Defense
Jury needed just 45 minutes to find for defense in vehicle accident case in which plaintiff originally demanded $1.5 million (Chavez v. Topete, San Diego County Superior Court, Defense attorney: Norman A. Ryan).
Fuel fire
Settlement: $20,375,000
Driver of a refueling truck for airplanes was severely burned when the truck burst into flames (McKaye v. Aviation Fuel Truck Manufacturer, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Steven V. Angarella).
Foster home abuse
Verdict: $30,000,000
Former foster child was repeatedly sexually abused for years by his foster father; poor oversight alleged (Confidential v. Giarretto Institute, Santa Clara County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Stephen Estey).
Countrywide
Settlement: $108,000,000
Federal Trade Commission brought an enforcement action against Countrywide Home Loans for unlawful practices in servicing mortgage loans (Federal Trade Commission v. Countrywide Home Loans Inc., Central District Federal Court, Plaintiff attorney: Willard K. Tom).
Cow on highway
Settlement: $1,350,000
An 800-pound cow that wandered onto a highway was struck by a semi-rig and propelled onto a driver’s Geo Prism, killing him instantly (Aguilera de Gonzalez v. Tankersley, Mendocino County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Robert C. Peterson).
Duress
Verdict: $1,590,000
Corporation owner claimed that he was forced to sign a “shareholder agreement” under duress and was thereafter excluded from management and profit-sharing (Koo v. Hong, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Robin Mashal).
Pedestrian struck
Verdict: $12,200,000
Seventeen-year-old girl was struck in a marked crosswalk and left in a permanent vegetative state (Liou v. State of California, San Mateo County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Douglas Saeltzer).
Leg amputation
Settlement: $1,500,000
Victim of motorcycle crash alleged that inadequate medical care of his leg injury resulted in its eventual amputation (Miller v. Barcelona, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Stacy L. Raphael).
Freeway rollover
Settlement: $2,200,000
Lane change, erratic driving by defendant vehicle caused victim’s car to go out of control and roll over (Confidential v. Confidential, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Roger Booth).
Rear-end collision
Settlement: $3,689,000
Rear-end collision of a van on I-5 by a cargo truck left the van driver a paraplegic (Garibay v. California Watercress Inc., unfiled settlement, Plaintiff attorney: Douglas D. Shaffer).
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.