Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

This Connecticut Superior Court case centered on a June 26, 2022 collision on East Main Street in Meriden. Kenneth Wallen was driving east when Teresa Loncrini made a left turn across his lane and struck his vehicle. Wallen claimed she failed to maintain control, keep a proper lookout, or yield the right of way. He alleged knee and spinal injuries and sought compensation for medical costs, pain, and work limitations. Loncrini denied negligence and argued Wallen contributed to the collision by failing to react or warn her. After hearing both sides, a Middlesex jury returned a verdict on October 23, 2025, finding Loncrini 100 percent at fault. The jury awarded Wallen $11,502.75 in economic damages and $4,000 in noneconomic damages, for a total of $15,502.75.

A Contra Costa County jury found Steven Rowsey negligent for a 2019 crash on the Bollinger Canyon Overpass that injured Adrian Leyva. After hearing evidence on medical treatment, pain, and the long-term impact of the collision, jurors awarded Leyva $409,200. The verdict reflected both economic losses and significant noneconomic harm tied to the freeway collision.

The long-running dispute between Pamela K. Hartnett and Charles and Mari Hardenbergh reached a decisive conclusion when a Virginia jury issued a split verdict on May 22, 2025. The jury rejected all of Hartnett’s assault, battery, emotional distress, defamation, and conspiracy claims. However, it found Charles Hardenbergh and his law firm liable for defamation, awarding Hartnett $200,000 in compensatory and $450,000 in punitive damages. Both Charles and Mari Hardenbergh were also found liable for trespass, resulting in additional punitive damages. The outcome shifted sharply when the jury considered the counterclaims. It determined that Hartnett maliciously prosecuted Mari Hardenbergh in connection with a December 2019 criminal complaint. Mari received $950,000 in compensatory and $50,000 in punitive damages. The jury cleared Hartnett on the remaining malicious prosecution counts. The verdict closed a contentious legal battle marked by conflicting narratives of violence, reputational harm, and retaliatory litigation.

In a decisive legal maneuver that ended the trial before the jury could deliberate, the Superior Court of Connecticut issued a Directed Verdict in the civil matter of Syed Sajid Hussain v. MSBF Corporation d/b/a MSBF, Inc., et al. The plaintiff, Syed Sajid Hussain, had pursued a lawsuit against the corporation and its principals, Babar Ali Khan, Sadia Hussain, and Syed Amir Hussain, claiming they had breached their agreements and engaged in financial misconduct. However, at the close of evidence on October 28, 2025, the court intervened, ruling that Mr. Hussain failed to present the necessary proof to support the majority of his claims. The judge formally directed the jury to find in favor of the defendants on a sweeping twenty-three counts, effectively dismissing the plaintiff’s core claims of contract breach, statutory theft, and fraudulent transfer.

American Freight Management Company LLC resolved a wage-and-hour class action in Sacramento Superior Court by agreeing to a $398,620 settlement that compensated employees for unpaid overtime, missed meal breaks, and inaccurate wage statements. The case involved managers and hourly workers who said the company failed to include nondiscretionary bonuses in overtime rates, routinely delayed meal periods, and issued pay stubs that did not show correct hours or earnings. After extensive discovery, mediation, and class certification, both sides settled before trial. The agreement brought closure to claims stretching back to 2018 and delivered financial relief to affected workers across the company’s California retail locations.

A Sacramento jury delivered a sweeping verdict for Dr. Beth Fischgrund, concluding that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation unlawfully retaliated against her after she reported workplace misconduct and safety issues. The jury found that Dr. Fischgrund’s protected whistleblower activity triggered a series of adverse employment actions, culminating in significant professional and personal harm. The panel also determined that CDCR defamed her during the conflict, further damaging her reputation and career prospects. After evaluating the evidence, the jury awarded a total of $13.88 million for lost earnings, future economic harm, emotional distress, and reputational damage. The case underscored the legal protections afforded to employees who report unsafe or improper governmental conduct in California.

The case centered on a 2019 rear-end collision involving an Orlando Police Department vehicle driven by Officer Christopher Moulton. Michael L. Hagans, the Plaintiff, said the officer failed to maintain a proper lookout and slammed into his Nissan on S. Westmoreland Drive. After years of litigation, a 2025 jury ruled that the officer’s negligence caused the crash and that the City was legally responsible under Florida’s dangerous instrumentality doctrine. Jurors awarded $77,000 for medical expenses and $150,000 for past pain and suffering after finding that Hagans suffered a permanent injury. The total award reached $227,000. The verdict closed the long-running dispute and confirmed that the crash left Hagans with lasting physical and emotional harm.

On March 8, 2019, Jorg Bober was rear-ended by a Dodge Ram 3500 driven by Scott D. Johnson of Pipeline Constructors while traveling on Interstate 295 in Jacksonville, Florida. Bober filed suit, alleging active negligence by Johnson and negligent hiring and supervision by Pipeline Constructors. The jury found Pipeline and Johnson liable, awarding Bober $43,000 for medical expenses, $40,000 for past pain and suffering, and $60,000 for future distress, totaling $143,000. The verdict recognized Bober’s injuries as significant and permanent, directly resulting from the crash.

In the Miami-Dade County civil action Harlan Dale Beck vs. Jose Alberto Martin Martinez et al., a jury awarded Plaintiff Harlan Dale Beck $246,000 for injuries sustained in a November 15, 2022 motor vehicle collision. The crash occurred when Martinez, a commercial driver for Big Red Auto Transport Corp., negligently struck Beck’s vehicle. Beck argued that the impact caused permanent injuries, chronic pain, and loss of life enjoyment, while the defense contested the severity and cited pre-existing conditions. After a four-day trial, the jury found both Martinez and his employer liable under negligence and vicarious liability principles. Although the medical expenses awarded were modest, the jury granted substantial damages for Beck’s past and future pain and suffering, validating claims of long-term physical and emotional harm. The verdict, delivered on February 20, 2025, concluded the litigation with a total award of $246,000.

In Corriea, Jerry, et al. v. Suhre, Eric, et al., residents Gerald Corriea, Jerry Corriea, and Michelle Rosas sued their neighbors in a heated agricultural and residential dispute over leased farmland on County Road X in Glenn County, California. The Plaintiffs alleged that after purchasing the adjoining property, Defendant Eric Suhre attempted to break an existing farming lease and initiated a campaign of harassment with tenants Joshua and Jennifer Jensen to drive them off the land. Their complaint included claims for breach of lease, breach of quiet enjoyment, constructive eviction, trespass, nuisance, interference with prospective economic relations, and negligence. The Defendants denied all allegations, arguing that no harassment, interference, or contractual breaches occurred. After a multi-week civil trial, the jury issued a complete defense verdict on December 20, 2024. The panel found the Plaintiffs failed to prove any claim, awarding them no damages. The Court declared Defendant Eric Suhre the prevailing party and granted him recovery of litigation costs. The verdict ended a contentious property and neighbor dispute with a full victory for the Defendants.

In Pizarro v. Grandison, et al., Plaintiff Jessica Pizarro sued driver Wayne Grandison and his employer, S.E. Funeral Homes of Florida, after a September 22, 2020 motor vehicle collision in Orange County. Pizarro alleged Grandison negligently caused the crash while operating a company-owned vehicle in the course of his employment, leading to permanent injuries to her nose and neck. She sought damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and non-economic losses, contingent on proving permanent impairment under Florida’s no-fault threshold. The defense denied negligence and argued that Pizarro failed to establish any permanent injury with medical certainty. After a February 21, 2025 jury trial, the panel found Pizarro did not sustain a permanent injury to either her nose or neck. Under Florida law, this finding barred any award for pain and suffering, resulting in a total recovery of zero dollars. Judgment was entered in favor of Defendants Wayne Grandison and S.E. Funeral Homes of Florida, LLC, fully resolving the case.

In Jane Doe v. Advanced Facility Inc., et al., a Pinellas County jury ruled that a Clearwater care facility, its manager, and an employee were responsible for severe abuse inflicted upon a vulnerable adult resident. Thill filed suit under a pseudonym in 2021, alleging that between 2018 and 2019, employee Falo Kane sexually assaulted and exploited her while she lived at Advanced Care Center. The complaint further asserted that the facility owner, Advanced Facility, Inc., and manager Donald De Baker failed to provide proper supervision, safety measures, and oversight, enabling the abuse to occur. After reviewing evidence of intentional misconduct and systemic negligence, the jury found Kane liable for sexual assault and exploitation of a vulnerable adult. They also determined that the corporate entity and its manager were negligent, violated Thill’s statutory residents’ rights, and legally caused her injuries. On February 17, 2025, the jury awarded Thill $250,000 in damages—$125,000 for sexual assault and $125,000 for exploitation—holding all three Defendants responsible for her trauma and long-term harm.