Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

On April 25, 2019, 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon was standing near a parked Chevrolet Tahoe in Key Largo, Florida, when she was struck and killed by a 2019 Tesla Model S traveling at approximately 70 miles per hour. The Tesla driver had engaged the vehicle’s "Autopilot" system and was distracted by his phone, relying on the technology to detect obstacles. The vehicle's sensors failed to recognize the stationary SUV, leading to a high-speed collision that also severely injured Dillon Angulo. The subsequent lawsuit alleged that Tesla’s Autopilot contained design defects, including a failure to adequately monitor driver engagement and detect stationary objects. In August 2025, a jury found Tesla 35% liable for the incident, determining that the vehicle was marketed with a defect that served as a legal cause of the damages.

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury delivered a staggering blow to Sysco Riverside, Inc., awarding over $52 million to five former employees who stood up against dangerous working conditions. The plaintiffs, who served as yard "spotters," alleged that the food distribution giant maintained a culture that prioritized delivery speed over public and employee safety. After six years of litigation, the jury found that the workers faced systematic harassment and were ultimately forced out of their jobs for reporting safety hazards, such as excessive speeding in the truck yard. The verdict included approximately $31 million in compensatory damages for emotional distress and lost wages, followed by $21.3 million in punitive damages to penalize the company's "malice and oppression".

On August 7, 2020, Jeffrey Alexander Monroy was assisting his father with pool repairs in Rancho Mirage when he left the site to find a phone. Residents reported a "suspicious person" in black clothing, leading to an encounter with Corporal Ruben Perez. As Jeffrey and his brother fled, Corporal Perez fired five shots into Jeffrey's back without issuing verbal warnings. The family alleged Jeffrey was in the midst of a mental health crisis at the time of the shooting. Following a trial in the U.S. District Court, a jury found that the officer used excessive force and awarded $13.1 million in total damages, assigning 70% of the negligence to the officer.

On the morning of June 22, 2023, Julian Davey-Brinson traveled south on Adams Street in Manchester when a violent multi-vehicle collision shattered the routine commute. The chaos began at the intersection of New State Road when Susan Colanti and Alberto Diaz collided, sending Colanti’s vehicle careening into Davey-Brinson’s path. While the drivers traded blame over who had the red light, Davey-Brinson suffered debilitating spinal strains and chronic headaches. The legal battle culminated in a Hartford courtroom where a jury had to decipher the seconds leading up to the crash. Ultimately, the jury cleared Alberto Diaz of all fault and placed the entire burden of liability on Susan Colanti, signaling a total victory for the injured plaintiff.

Share Our Selves Corporation (SOS), a long-standing non-profit healthcare provider, initiated legal action against the City of Santa Ana after a sudden change in local zoning laws derailed the organization’s expansion plans. SOS had entered an agreement to purchase a multi-million dollar office building on North Main Street to provide integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services to low-income and homeless residents. However, the City Council rapidly adopted emergency ordinances requiring non-profit clinics to obtain a Conditional Use Permit (CUP)—a requirement not imposed on for-profit medical offices. This regulatory pivot caused SOS to lose over $500,000 in non-refundable deposits and halted the project entirely. SOS alleged that the City’s actions were rooted in "NIMBYism" and discriminatory intent against the clinic's vulnerable patient base. The litigation concluded when the City of Santa Ana agreed to a $550,000 settlement to resolve claims of constitutional violations and administrative overreach.

Following a high-stakes trial in Los Angeles Superior Court, a jury held the State of California and a government employee responsible for a devastating 2022 freeway collision. The legal battle centered on a motor vehicle accident that left the plaintiff with permanent physical impairments and staggering medical costs. The final judgment, totaling more than $32.8 million, reflects the jury’s assessment of severe physical trauma and the lifelong loss of earning capacity suffered by the victim.

The legal battle began following a violent encounter on March 2, 2019, that claimed the life of Justin Garza. His parents, Joseph and Sarah Garza, initiated a civil lawsuit against Randy Kutchuwah Windwalker Jones in the Superior Court of California, County of Fresno. The litigation sought to hold Jones accountable for the fatal shooting of their son during a dispute over a debt in a Motel 6 parking lot. Despite defense arguments claiming comparative fault, a Fresno jury reached a unanimous decision on April 10, 2025, finding Jones liable. The Court awarded the Plaintiffs a total of $11 million in compensatory damages for the past and future loss of their son's love, companionship, and moral support.

Ross Byer, a former police officer for the City of La Palma, alleged that he faced a hostile work environment and racial discrimination under the supervision of Sergeant Koh. Byer, a Caucasian officer, claimed that Koh openly expressed a desire for an "all-Korean police force" and pressured him to engage in unethical policing, including profiling minority suspects. After Byer reported these concerns to department leadership, he faced intensified scrutiny and poor performance reviews, which he argued were retaliatory. The legal battle culminated in a jury finding that the City's actions led to Byer's constructive discharge and that racial bias was a motivating factor in his treatment. On December 9, 2025, an Orange County jury awarded Byer $8.4 million for past and future emotional distress, marking a significant victory against municipal workplace discrimination.

Since at least January 2019, Allstate has been overcharging California policyholders by inflating the square footage of their homes in premium calculations. Specifically, the company allegedly included built-in garages in the 'Total Finished Living Area'—space typically meant for human occupancy—and then added it again to reach the 'Total Living Area'. This 'double-counting' method led to thousands of policyholders paying higher premiums than required by their actual home size. For the lead plaintiff, this resulted in her 1,154 square foot home being billed as 1,438 square feet.

The legal battle began after what was supposed to be a routine medical procedure at Sharp Memorial Hospital on January 26, 2023. Phuong Ho sought treatment for a benign pituitary tumor. Her neurosurgeon, Dr. Sohaib Kureshi, recommended surgical removal, and the team utilized a computer guidance system to navigate the delicate area near the brain. However, during the operation, the surgical instruments struck Ms. Ho’s carotid artery. This catastrophic error immediately triggered a severe stroke, fundamentally altering her life. The surgical accident left Ms. Ho with permanent and profound physical and cognitive disabilities. She emerged from the procedure with impaired speech and restricted physical movement, including paralysis and spasticity on the right side of her body. Simple tasks like gripping or holding objects became impossible. Beyond the physical limitations, she suffered from aphasia, memory loss, and significantly diminished cognitive abilities. On December 18, 2025, a San Diego jury found Dr. Sohaib Kureshi negligent. The jury determined his actions were a substantial factor in causing the harm and awarded total damages of $18,056,888 to Ms. Ho and her husband for medical expenses, lost earnings, and loss of consortium.

The legal battle between Pilot Thomas Logistics (PTL) and the City and County of San Francisco began after a persistent oil sheen appeared on the San Francisco Bay in August 2020. Federal investigations by the EPA traced the leak to an underground pipeline near Hyde Street Harbor, which PTL operated but the Port of San Francisco had designed decades earlier. PTL alleged that the city provided a defective facility and failed to maintain a functional leak-detection system, leading to a massive red-dye biodiesel spill. This incident forced the closure of PTL’s marine fuel terminal and triggered extensive cleanup and remediation costs. While the city argued that PTL was responsible for the leak due to operational negligence, the parties ultimately reached a $55,000,000 settlement to resolve claims of breach of contract, negligence, and environmental indemnity.

Dr. Matthew Heckman, a family physician specialized in obstetrics, filed a lawsuit against UPMC Susquehanna and North Penn Comprehensive Health Services following his termination in April 2020. Dr. Heckman, who had served as Chief Medical Officer, alleged he was fired for blowing the whistle on what he described as UPMC’s illegal corporate control over North Penn, a Federally Qualified Health Center. He claimed the health system prioritized profits over rural patient care, specifically regarding obstetric services and clinic closures during the pandemic. The Defendants denied these claims, asserting that Dr. Heckman was the one who breached his contractual duties. On December 4, 2025, a federal jury in Pennsylvania found that while a contract existed and a breach occurred, the Defendants' actions resulted in $40,000 in damages for the Plaintiff.