Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

Demetrius Watson filed a class-action lawsuit against Radin Logistics LLC, alleging the company systematically violated California labor laws. Watson, an hourly employee, claimed that the logistics firm failed to provide mandatory meal and rest periods, neglected to pay earned overtime wages, and required staff to use personal cell phones for work without reimbursement. The complaint described these actions as a broader corporate strategy to minimize costs at the expense of worker rights. To avoid the complexities of a prolonged trial, Radin Logistics agreed to a $120,000 settlement to compensate Watson and other affected "aggrieved employees" for unpaid wages and statutory penalties.

Martine Aniel initiated a lawsuit against the City and County of San Francisco following a severe trip-and-fall incident on Hayes Street. On May 4, 2023, while walking in front of 528 Hayes Street, Aniel tripped over irregular and raised sidewalk slabs that the City had failed to maintain. The resulting fall caused a fractured left acetabulum and significant physical impairment. Although the City initially denied her administrative claim, the parties ultimately reached a $45,000 settlement to cover her medical expenses and physical suffering.

Bryn Miller filed a lawsuit against the City and County of San Francisco and Officer Anthony Montoya following a severe collision at the intersection of 20th and Folsom Streets. On a rainy night in March 2023, Miller was cycling with proper safety gear when Montoya, operating a city-owned Ford Explorer, turned directly into her path. The impact threw Miller over her handlebars, resulting in serious physical trauma and a lingering fear for her life. An investigation found the officer at fault for failing to yield the right-of-way. To resolve claims for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, the City agreed to a $95,000 settlement.

After 17 years of loyal service, DaRon Benson returned to work at S.E. Combined Services of California following a two-year medical leave, only to face immediate hostility and systemic targeting. His supervisor, Yuri Sikkema, allegedly stripped Benson of long-held benefits and subjected him to racial animus, claiming the company had functioned perfectly without him. The dispute culminated in Benson’s termination based on what the jury determined were sham allegations of timecard fraud. On November 19, 2025, an Alameda County jury held the defendants accountable for discrimination and retaliation, awarding Benson a landmark $13,655,263 for his economic losses and the profound emotional distress caused by the loss of his career.

On a summer afternoon in August 2019, 15-year-old Roberto Diaz Garcia attempted to cross the street near the intersection of Maple Avenue and East 37th Street in Los Angeles. As the teenager stepped into the crosswalk area, a vehicle struck him with significant force, resulting in life-altering injuries. The legal action alleged that the City of Los Angeles maintained a "trap" for pedestrians due to poor visibility and inadequate safety measures. The collision left the young Plaintiff with devastating trauma, including permanent orthopedic injuries and third-degree burns. After extensive litigation regarding the city’s failure to implement traffic-calming measures, the parties reached a $1,500,000 settlement to cover the minor’s lifelong medical care and lost earning capacity.

In a major crackdown on the "next generation" of nicotine addiction, the City and County of San Francisco successfully sued several prominent tobacco distributors, including Rogue Holdings and Lucy Goods, Inc. The lawsuit alleged that these companies bypassed local health laws by shipping flavored nicotine pouches—products frequently marketed toward youth—directly to San Francisco doorsteps. City Attorney David Chiu argued that the companies violated the city’s strict ban on flavored tobacco and engaged in unlawful business practices. The litigation highlighted the health risks posed to minors by "discreet" nicotine products available in candy-like flavors. To resolve the claims, the defendants agreed to a $3,000,000 settlement and a permanent injunction barring future illegal sales in the city.

Theodore Franzone was walking near the 16th fairway at the Lincoln Park Golf Course when a utility box cover flipped up, causing his leg to fall into the hole. The accident resulted in a chipped right patella and a torn tendon that required surgical repair. Franzone sued the City and County of San Francisco, alleging the municipal government failed to secure the cover, creating a dangerous condition on public property. While the City denied all allegations and argued that the risk was trivial or caused by Franzone’s own negligence, the parties ultimately resolved the dispute with a $75,000 settlement.

In Carlos Miramontes v. Green Wall Tech, Inc., a former hourly employee filed a representative action in Alameda County Superior Court alleging systemic violations of the California Labor Code. The lawsuit claimed that Green Wall Tech forced employees to perform off-the-clock work, including mandatory pre-shift COVID-19 screenings and health questionnaires, without compensation. Furthermore, the plaintiff alleged that the company failed to provide duty-free meal and rest periods or pay the required premium wages for interrupted breaks. Despite a formal answer denying all allegations and asserting various immunities , the defendants agreed to a $1,500,000 settlement to resolve the claims and statutory penalties under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).

In the matter of Ana Warrick v. Byelas, LLC and The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC, the Plaintiff alleged she sustained significant injuries, including a rotator cuff tear and hand fracture, after tripping on a "depressed" sidewalk seam outside a Westport, CT grocery store. Warrick argued the Defendants violated state building codes and ASTM standards for safe walking surfaces. However, the defense successfully argued that the Plaintiff failed to prove the existence of a specific dangerous condition. On January 8, 2025, a Fairfield District jury returned a verdict in favor of all Defendants, concluding that no actionable defect was present at the time of the incident.

In Gzim Kovacevic v. Pure Wafer, Inc., a non-exempt employee filed a representative action under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) alleging systemic labor violations at a Santa Clara County facility. The lawsuit claimed that Pure Wafer required staff to undergo mandatory, off-the-clock COVID-19 screenings before shifts without compensation. Additionally, the Plaintiff alleged that the company failed to provide duty-free meal and rest periods or pay the required premium wages for interrupted breaks. Following the filing of the complaint in the Superior Court of California, the parties resolved the matter through a settlement of $225,585, covering unpaid wages and statutory penalties for the aggrieved workforce.

On a December morning in 2022, Zoila Moran De Alfaro stepped into a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Sepulveda and Victory Boulevards, guided by a "walk" signal. Simultaneously, the traffic light for oncoming northbound traffic turned green, leading driver Gilberto Cabrera to strike Ms. De Alfaro at high speed. The collision caused a shoulder fracture, a rotator cuff tear, and a torn ACL. Investigations revealed a catastrophic malfunction in the traffic control system—essentially a "concealed trap"—that granted both the pedestrian and the driver the right of way at the same time. Facing allegations of maintaining a dangerous condition on public property, the City of Los Angeles and Caltrans reached a $1,000,000 settlement to compensate for the victim's permanent injuries and medical expenses.

This legal action emerged from a two-vehicle crash that took place on May 20, 2021, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Dorka Morales had been driving her car south on East Main Street when she encountered a city-owned street sweeper. According to the legal complaint, Luis Antonio Rodriguez had been operating an Elgin city sweeper in the same direction when he suddenly and without warning pulled out into the street, leading to a collision. The Plaintiffs alleged that Rodriguez failed to keep a proper lookout and neglected to give any signal before moving into the path of traffic. The defense argued that Morales was responsible, claiming she attempted to pass the street sweeper in a "no passing" zone while its caution lights were flashing. Following a trial in November 2025, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the Defendants, awarding no damages to the Plaintiffs.