Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued The Princess Martha, LLC and affiliates after Sarah Branyan, a disabled applicant, was denied a job without proper accommodation. Branyan requested adjustments for the application process, but the company refused. The EEOC argued this violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Defendants denied discrimination and claimed no feasible adjustment existed. After hearing testimony and reviewing evidence, a Florida jury found Branyan qualified and The Princess Martha negligent. The jury awarded $5,083 in lost wages, $50,000 for emotional harm, and $350,000 in punitive damages, reinforcing employers’ responsibility to engage in good-faith accommodation efforts.

Kimberly Banks and Carol Cantwell led a class action against R.C. Bigelow, Inc., accusing the tea company of falsely labeling its teas as “Manufactured in the USA” and “America’s Classic.” They showed Bigelow sourced all tea leaves from countries like Sri Lanka and India, while the packaging implied domestic origin. Bigelow denied wrongdoing, saying the claims referred to U.S. blending and packaging. After hearing expert testimony and reviewing evidence, a California jury ruled that the labeling misled reasonable consumers. Damages were awarded to the class, and Bigelow was ordered to revise its labels to disclose the foreign origin of its tea leaves.

Plaintiff Hyojin Choi sued after two Orange County crashes in 2023. She alleged Michael Chen, Yichong Tang, and Xiuying Li negligently operated vehicles on I-5 in Irvine and in Cypress. Choi claimed overlapping injuries made damage apportionment uncertain. Chen denied liability and raised multiple defenses, including Proposition 213 and seat belt use. To avoid trial, Chen agreed to pay $250,000 in a full and final settlement.

A July 20, 2020 crash on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles led to a negligence suit. Plaintiff Jesunita Agasang claimed severe injuries and financial loss after Defendant Nasreen Babu-Khan’s vehicle struck her Toyota. Babu-Khan denied fault, citing comparative negligence and third-party liability. A Los Angeles jury found Babu-Khan 60% at fault and Agasang 40%, awarding $70,000 in damages for future medical care and past non-economic losses.

After a wrong-way McLaren crash on I-805 killed Aileen and Aryana Pizarro, their family sued Trevor Heitmann’s estate, TJH Holdings, and San Diego agencies for negligence and wrongful death. Plaintiffs alleged police failed to act on a mental-health warning. Defendants denied liability, citing comparative fault and statutory defenses. The case settled for $3,573,286, compensating the family and ending further litigation.

Lyudmila Maleva sued San Francisco after tripping on a cracked Gough Street sidewalk in March 2022, suffering head and spinal injuries. She alleged the City failed to repair or warn about the hazard. The City denied liability, citing statutory immunities and comparative negligence. The parties reached a $60,000 conditional settlement, canceling the April 2025 trial.

On October 20, 2019, Los Angeles police discovered Elizabeth Baggett deceased in her home. Plaintiffs alleged Officer David Rojas molested her remains, recorded bodycam video, and shared it, causing severe emotional distress. They sued Rojas and the City of Los Angeles for privacy invasion, mishandling of remains, and related claims. Both defendants denied liability and raised multiple defenses. The case concluded with a conditional $250,000 settlement, approved by the Court on December 12, 2024.

On June 30, 2021, an LAPD bomb squad miscalculated illegal fireworks’ weight and overloaded a containment vessel in a dense Los Angeles neighborhood. The detonation caused a massive explosion that injured residents Luisa Bonilla, Benjamin Hernandez Sotelo, Lessly Alejandra Rios, and minors Alisson and Viktor Sotelo. They sued the City of Los Angeles for negligence and statutory violations, citing severe physical, emotional, and property damage. The City denied liability, raising multiple defenses. On July 15, 2024, the parties reached a $475,000 global settlement, ending the case.

Minor plaintiff Giselle Ayar tripped on an uneven, poorly lit sidewalk on Crockett Street in Sun Valley, Los Angeles, on June 26, 2021. She sued property owner Inna Ghevondyan, the City, and County of Los Angeles, alleging negligence and dangerous property conditions. All defendants denied liability, citing statutory immunities, lack of notice, and contributory negligence. After litigation, the parties reached an unconditional settlement on September 9, 2024, for $500,000, resolving all claims.

Juan Wilfredo Amaya, a pedestrian, was struck by a car while crossing Foothill Boulevard at Harding Street in Sylmar, Los Angeles County, in October 2020. The unmarked crosswalk, near a busy I-210 Freeway overpass, had a history of citizen complaints about safety hazards. Amaya alleged multiple public agencies failed to remedy dangerous conditions despite prior warnings and site visits by officials. He suffered permanent disabilities, underwent more than a dozen surgeries, and faced lifelong pain and expenses. In April 2024, Amaya reached a $2,000,000 settlement with the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, California Department of Transportation, City of San Fernando, and State of California, resolving all claims before trial.

In a heated Coral Gables property dispute, the Knights of Columbus Council No. 3274 sued longtime event manager Fetes & Events, Inc. over control of a historic community hall at 270 Catalonia Avenue. The Knights accused Fetes of breaching fiduciary duties, trespassing, and disrupting charitable events vital to their mission, including allegations of sabotage and unauthorized surveillance. Fetes countered that the Knights had accepted its practices for years and only objected after benefiting from the arrangement. After hearing conflicting accounts, a Miami-Dade jury on April 29, 2025, sided entirely with Fetes & Events. The verdict cleared Fetes of all claims, leaving the Knights without damages or control changes. The case underscores the importance of clear management agreements and consistent oversight in long-term business relationships.

In a landmark labor trafficking and wage theft case, Guatemalan farmworkers sued Purpose Point Harvesting LLC and its owners in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. The workers said they were lured under the H-2A visa program with false promises, forced to pay illegal fees, had their passports taken, and endured 20-hour days for unfair wages. After a detailed trial, a federal jury on June 6, 2025, found Purpose Point and Emilto “Milton” Moreno Gomez liable under federal and Michigan trafficking laws, wage statutes, and contract terms. Co-owner Lucille Moreno was cleared of trafficking but found liable for some wage and contract violations. Jurors awarded compensatory and punitive damages totaling hundreds of thousands, rejecting the company’s counterclaims. The verdict reinforces protections for migrant laborers and underscores penalties for abusive employment practices.