Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

In 22STCV24977, Stephanie Anushe Cortes v. City of Los Angeles, the plaintiff initiated legal action following a slip-and-fall incident on August 10, 2021, at a public facility. Cortes alleged that poorly maintained flooring, ramps, and entryways at 150 N. Los Angeles St. and 215 S. San Julian St. constituted a dangerous condition of public property. The litigation centered on whether the City had "constructive notice" of these defects and whether its failure to inspect and repair the premises led to Cortes’s severe physical injuries and subsequent medical expenses. While the City argued that the conditions were "open and obvious" and invoked government immunities, the parties ultimately reached an unconditional settlement on February 2, 2024. The resolution, overseen by Judge Lynne M. Hobbs in the Los Angeles Superior Court, concluded the matter shortly before trial, providing compensation for the plaintiff's pain, suffering, and economic losses.

In early 2022, Amir Medizadeh sued the City of Los Angeles, the County, and the State of California following a roadway incident near Fairfax Avenue. Medizadeh alleged that an unmarked speed bump constituted a dangerous condition on public property, causing him to slide and suffer significant physical injuries and mental distress. He sought damages for medical expenses, property damage, and loss of earnings. The government entities denied the claims, citing various immunities and arguing that the Plaintiff was responsible for his own safety. After more than two years of litigation and just before the scheduled trial, the parties reached a settlement in May 2024, leading to the conditional dismissal of the action.

In a significant resolution to a legal battle spanning nearly two decades, PHH Corporation and its subsidiaries reached a $29,494,500 settlement with a massive class of homeowners. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2008, alleged that PHH operated a "captive" reinsurance scheme through Atrium Insurance Corporation to solicit illegal kickbacks from mortgage insurers. Plaintiffs Efrain Munoz, Leona Lovette, and Stephanie Melani argued that these secret arrangements violated the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) by inflating costs for borrowers without providing actual insurance risk. Despite PHH’s long-standing defense that their practices were lawful, the court granted final approval of the settlement in December 2025, marking the end of one of the longest-running consumer finance disputes in the Eastern District of California.

A Miami-Dade County jury awarded California resident Cheryl Genovesi $1,503,174.48 in damages after she slipped and fell on greasy liquid outside Townhouse Hotel in Miami Beach. The October 2025 verdict placed full blame on the hotel, finding it 100% negligent for failing to maintain safe conditions on the adjacent public sidewalk where cooking oil leaked from service area trash receptacles.

A Broward County jury found Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company liable for breach of contract after the insurer failed to pay full benefits for water damage at a Sunrise, Florida home. The November 2025 verdict awarded homeowners Nadine and Stephen Casella $53,099.30 in total damages, resulting in a final judgment of $30,093.99 including prejudgment interest. The case centered on a disputed April 2023 weather-related water damage claim where the insurer initially paid only $18,470.88 for building repairs despite the homeowners' assertion that costs far exceeded that amount.

A Sacramento County jury returned a defense verdict in a disability access lawsuit brought by a 67-year-old health club member who claimed broken pool chair lifts denied her equal access to swimming facilities. While the jury found the Plaintiff proved she had a disability and that the facility was not readily accessible, they determined she was not denied full and equal enjoyment of the facility because of her disability.

A Miami-Dade jury held David T. Goldfarb liable for a 2022 collision where his Aston Martin DB9 struck Giovanni A. Rodriguez Osorio’s scooter. While the defense argued that Osorio was comparatively negligent and failed to wear a seatbelt, the jury found Goldfarb’s negligence was the legal cause of the crash. The Court entered a final judgment of $235,000 for past and future medical expenses, applying an 8.65% interest rate to the award.

What began as an evening bike ride on the scenic Miami Beach boardwalk ended in a life-altering head-on collision for Raoul Cappell. On August 25, 2020, Cappell was struck by another cyclist, Lilia Montero-Diaz, near 50th Street—a stretch of the walkway that residents had long warned was dangerously overcrowded. The impact left Cappell with a severely broken leg and spinal fractures requiring multiple surgeries. While Montero-Diaz filed a counter-claim blaming Cappell, a Miami-Dade jury ultimately found her entirely responsible for the crash. The Court ordered a $369,210 judgment to cover Cappell’s medical bills and significant physical pain and suffering.

In the high-stakes legal battle of Greg Kovacic v. Sharecare, Inc. et al., a California jury delivered a total defense victory, resolving allegations of corporate "bait-and-switch" tactics. Kovacic, the former CFO of doc.ai, alleged he was defrauded into waiving a $3.48 million merger payout based on false promises of long-term executive stability and a "key employee" status at Sharecare. The case took a dramatic turn with Kovacic alleging that Sharecare forged his employment contract by swapping signature pages to restrict his outside business interests. However, after a full trial in the Santa Clara County Superior Court, the jury rejected these claims. While the jury acknowledged that Sharecare made certain representations to Kovacic, they concluded the company intended to keep those promises at the time they were made. Furthermore, the jury cleared Sharecare CFO Justin Ferrero of all personal liability, finding he made no false statements. On November 14, 2025, the Court ruled that Kovacic would receive nothing, solidifying a major win for Sharecare and affirming the validity of their termination of Kovacic for "cause."

The legal battle in James Peter Walling v. Seth Nathaniel Scott and Jonathan Jones concluded with a significant jury verdict in Broward County. The dispute stemmed from a July 2023 collision where Jonathan Jones, operating a 2007 Chevy Tahoe owned by Seth Scott, struck James Walling's vehicle at a high rate of speed. While the owner initially denied giving permission for the vehicle's use, the jury ultimately found that Jones drove with Scott’s express or implied consent. After weighing evidence of Walling’s permanent physical impairment and the necessity of future medical care, the jury awarded $109,737.31 in total damages. This award specifically included $50,000 for future medical expenses and $40,000 for future pain and suffering, reflecting the long-term impact of the crash on the plaintiff’s life.

Mikhail Gershzon filed a class-action lawsuit against ZOA Energy, LLC, alleging that the company’s "0 Preservatives" marketing was false and deceptive. Despite the prominent "clean label" claims, the energy drinks contained citric acid, which is classified by the FDA as a chemical preservative. The plaintiff argued that health-conscious consumers paid a price premium for what they believed was a preservative-free product. ZOA Energy denied any wrongdoing but agreed to a $3,000,000 settlement to resolve the claims on a nationwide scale.

On a clear afternoon in April 2019, the intersection of Santa Clara Street and First Street in Arcadia became the site of a life-altering collision. Andrew M. Nuckles was commuting eastbound in a designated bike lane when Ling M. Wu, driving a 2014 Lexus ES350, attempted a sudden right-hand turn. The maneuver cut directly across the cyclist’s path, leading to a violent impact. The ensuing legal battle centered on whether the driver failed to maintain a proper lookout. Despite defense claims that the cyclist was partially at fault and that his medical bills were inflated, a Los Angeles jury held the driver fully accountable. The panel ultimately awarded Nuckles over $3.2 million, primarily to cover a lifetime of future medical care and the profound "noneconomic" toll of physical pain and mental suffering.