Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

The legal battle centered on Steve Ongele, a long-serving Bureau Chief within the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). Ongele alleged that his career ended in retaliation after he blew the whistle on significant financial irregularities within the department. Specifically, Ongele had reported that the city was collecting millions of dollars in excessive fees from the public and had uncovered a scheme where ineligible high-level employees received years of unauthorized overtime pay. Following these disclosures, Ongele claimed he faced a hostile work environment and was ultimately terminated in October 2019. The resulting stress led to a severe decline in his mental and physical health, including suicidal ideation and permanent disability. While the City maintained that the termination was performance-based, they ultimately chose to settle the matter for $3.15 million shortly before trial, following the federal conviction of Ongele's former supervisor on unrelated corruption charges.

The legal battle stemmed from a late-night collision on September 16, 2022, when Mohamed Tageldin and his passenger, Manar Abdelrhem, were traveling along Saw Mill Road in West Haven. Their vehicle was struck from behind by a car operated by Erik Vazquez. Claiming the impact resulted in permanent spinal injuries—specifically cervical and lumbar strains alongside lumbar radiculopathy—the pair sought additional compensation from their own insurer, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. They argued that the at-fault driver’s insurance policy was insufficient to cover their long-term medical needs and loss of life enjoyment. State Farm contested the extent of the injuries and raised defenses regarding previous payments and potential comparative negligence. On December 10, 2025, a Middlesex Superior Court jury delivered a total defense verdict, finding that State Farm was not liable for further underinsured motorist benefits for either plaintiff.

A Connecticut Superior Court jury unanimously ruled in favor of Nuvance Health Medical Practice and infectious disease specialist Dr. Qurat Mudassar on December 16, 2025. The estate of Norman Peters alleged that the defendants negligently diagnosed him as HIV-positive based on a false positive test and prescribed unnecessary antiretroviral medication for six months. The plaintiff claimed Peters suffered severe emotional distress, depression, and anxiety from believing he was HIV-positive when subsequent testing proved he was not. The defense successfully argued that the treatment decisions met the standard of care given the clinical circumstances at the time.

Following a 2021 chain-reaction crash in Rhode Island, Steven O’Donnell fought a multi-year legal battle against his own insurer, USAA Casualty Insurance Company. The collision occurred when an underinsured motorist slammed into the car stopped behind O’Donnell, propelling that vehicle into O’Donnell’s stationary car. After exhausting the at-fault driver’s policy limits, O’Donnell sought underinsured motorist benefits from USAA to cover his extensive medical bills and chronic spinal pain. When the insurer denied the claim and attempted to blame O’Donnell for the crash, a New Haven jury intervened, awarding him over $121,000 in damages.

In a significant victory for civil rights, a jury awarded $3.6 million to A. Jamal Shakir, Jr. following a violent encounter with the Los Angeles Police Department. On October 19, 2020, Shakir was peacefully using his cell phone to record police activity during a downtown protest when Officer Eric Anderson fired a 40mm "less-lethal" foam baton projectile directly at him. The high-velocity impact crushed Shakir’s hand, causing multiple fractures and permanent physical damage. The lawsuit alleged that the LAPD used excessive force to stop Shakir from exercising his First Amendment right to film the police. This verdict holds the City of Los Angeles accountable for the improper use of tactical weapons against non-violent observers and journalists.

The University of San Francisco finalized a $3.8 million settlement to resolve claims that the institution systematically underpaid its non-exempt workforce. Former employees Dan Beck and Bienvenida Salazar led the class action, alleging the university had failed to calculate overtime rates correctly and denied staff mandatory rest periods. After years of legal maneuvering in San Francisco Superior Court, Judge Ethan P. Schulman approved the multimillion-dollar payout to compensate hundreds of affected workers for lost wages and legal penalties.

In March 2024, Michelle Hedges filed a class action lawsuit against Bona Fide Mao Inc. (doing business as Salud) in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The litigation followed a severe cybersecurity incident occurring in September 2022, which compromised the sensitive personal and medical data of thousands of individuals. The core of the complaint alleged that Salud failed to implement industry-standard security measures—such as robust encryption—and significantly delayed notifying victims. Although the breach was discovered in late 2022, notification letters were not dispatched until February 2024, leaving victims unaware of their exposure for nearly eighteen months. The stolen data included Social Security numbers, medical histories, and health insurance details, placing class members at a lifelong risk of identity theft. To resolve claims of negligence and privacy invasion, Salud agreed to an $8,000,000 settlement. During a final approval hearing on November 20, 2024, the Honorable Ethan P. Schulman requested additional data regarding the class participation rate before granting final judgment. The proceedings reflect a growing judicial scrutiny over corporate accountability in the wake of "Private Information" (PI) exposure.

A Contra Costa County jury awarded $382,403 to Rafael Leon after finding Briana Day negligent in the drunk driving death of his daughter Maricarmen Leon. On July 30, 2022, Day drove her RAM 1500 truck onto a Walnut Creek sidewalk while intoxicated at more than twice the legal limit, striking and killing Maricarmen Leon. Day previously pleaded guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter. The jury awarded $100,000 for past loss of companionship, $250,000 for future loss, and $32,403 for funeral expenses, but declined to award punitive damages.

The Alameda County Superior Court formally concluded the class and representative action Oscar Armando Maravilla v. East Bay Logistics, Inc. with the final approval of a settlement totaling $455,000. The lawsuit began in July 2022 when Mr. Maravilla, a former non-exempt employee, asserted that the East Bay logistics company had systematically violated the California Labor Code. The complaint detailed widespread wage and hour infractions, including the company's failure to accurately track and pay employees for all time they had worked, leading to underpayment of both minimum wage and overtime. The legal action further contended that East Bay Logistics had denied workers their legally mandated meal and rest periods, and subsequently failed to pay the premium wages required for these missed breaks. Additionally, the company provided employees with inaccurate wage statements and neglected to reimburse them for necessary business expenses, such as the use of personal cell phones for work. East Bay Logistics denied the allegations, asserting that it had operated in good faith. However, to avoid the considerable risk and expense of a jury trial, the parties negotiated the six-figure settlement. In September 2024, Judge Michael Markman approved the final order, which provided compensation to the class members for the wages and penalties the company had failed to pay, officially concluding the litigation.

Stahl-Lee v. Coit Cleaning & Restoration: $375,000 Settlement Ends Dispute Over Toxic Damage

A Duval County jury returned a $2.5 million punitive damages verdict against Ramon Gerardo Cerda for causing a fatal wrong-way collision on Interstate 295. Cerda drove his pickup truck southbound in the northbound lanes while intoxicated, striking and killing Nell Marie Behr in the early morning hours of January 14, 2023. The verdict reflected the jury's finding that Cerda acted with gross negligence and reckless disregard for human life.

In a subrogation lawsuit filed in Butte County Superior Court, Fire Insurance Exchange sought to recover $213,446.26 from property owners Gary and Helen Botsford after a tree from their Paradise, California property fell and damaged a neighboring home in October 2021. While the jury found the Botsfords were negligent in maintaining their trees, they concluded this negligence was not a substantial factor in causing the damage. Judge Stephen E. Benson entered judgment favoring the defendants on October 22, 2025, awarding them costs of suit and denying the insurance company any recovery.