Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

A group of four long-term employees at UCLA Health Vernon Goodwin, Mary Mathis-Hargett, Ruben Ruiz, and Jorge Ramirez filed a significant legal action against the university and William Dunne, the Administrative Director of Security Services . The staff members alleged that they were subjected to a decade of systematic harassment, offensive racial stereotyping, and mockery regarding their medical conditions and disabilities. While UCLA’s own internal investigation eventually substantiated many of these claims, including findings of significant pay disparities based on race, the university was accused of failing to act for years while the abuse continued. The litigation concluded with a $5.7 million settlement to compensate the Plaintiffs for emotional distress and financial losses.

Gemini said In the civil rights case Slade Douglas v. City of Los Angeles, a federal jury awarded $6,789,000 to a military veteran following a 2019 welfare check that escalated into an unlawful arrest and forced medical procedure. The incident began when LAPD Officers Jeffrey Yabana and Jeremy Wheeler responded to a hotline referral, eventually seizing Mr. Douglas’s phone and arresting him without probable cause after he attempted to report their provocative behavior. During the encounter, the officers ignored Mr. Douglas's pre-existing spinal injuries, causing permanent nerve damage through improper handcuffing, and later oversaw a non-consensual, painful catheterization while he was sedated at a hospital. The jury found the officers liable for First Amendment retaliation, false imprisonment, negligence, and ADA violations, awarding over $6.6 million in compensatory damages and $173,000 in punitive damages for conduct deemed malicious and oppressive.

Rafael Navarro, a former cashier at Floor and Decor in Oxnard, California, led a representative enforcement action under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) against the national retailer. The lawsuit alleged that the company maintained centralized corporate policies that systematically violated California labor laws, including failing to pay overtime, denying proper meal and rest periods, and issuing inaccurate wage statements. A significant portion of the claim focused on the company’s failure to provide stools or seats for cashiers, despite the work allowing for a seated position. To resolve the litigation, Floor and Decor agreed to a total settlement of $1,200,000.

In January 2026, a Miami-Dade jury concluded a long-running personal injury battle, finding that the negligence of Miami-Dade County, John Chaparro, and a parked semi-truck driver combined to cause a permanent injury to Plaintiff Griselle Ramos. While the County argued that Ramos failed to wear a seatbelt and shared the blame, the jury ultimately held the County 45% responsible for the incident. Ramos received a total of $8,335.20 for past medical expenses after the court verified her injuries reached the legal threshold of permanency.

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.