Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

On October 16, 2021, Regino Gomez-Garcia turned left onto Madison Street in Riverside with a green light. Defendants Gladys and Pedro Gallegos allegedly ran a red light, striking his vehicle. Gomez-Garcia claimed their reckless driving caused serious injuries, medical costs, lost earnings, and lasting pain. Gallegos denied liability, citing comparative negligence, third-party fault, failure to mitigate, and statutory defenses. On June 18, 2025, a Riverside County jury found Gallegos negligent and awarded Gomez-Garcia $8,569,756.35, including $2.3 million for future medical expenses and $5 million for future non-economic damages, plus costs and interest.

Krystal Slocum sued Anaheim Union High School District, alleging childhood sexual assault by her teacher David Sepe. She claimed AUHSD ignored red flags and failed to act, allowing continued abuse. The case sought damages for emotional distress and loss of daily function. AUHSD denied liability, citing immunity and procedural defenses. On February 14, 2025, the parties reached a settlement, resolving all claims for $198,700, with dismissal confirmed in March 2025.

On May 27, 2022, bicyclist James Baldwin Jr. crashed on Washington Boulevard, Marina del Rey, allegedly due to a pavement defect. He sued Los Angeles for negligence, dangerous condition of public property (Gov. Code §835), and premises liability, citing serious injuries, disability, medical costs, lost income, and property damage. The City denied liability, claiming Baldwin’s negligence, assumed risk, other parties’ fault, statutory immunities, and procedural bars. On February 7, 2024, they reached a conditional $500,000 settlement, pending City Council approval, with dismissal expected by November 4, 2024.

Plaintiff Kwayde Miller sued Helen and Daniel Elson and the County of San Diego after a 2019 motorcycle crash at San Pasqual Road and Zermatt Lane. He alleged negligence and a dangerous public property condition. Defendants denied liability, citing statutory immunities and comparative negligence. On March 12, 2025, a San Diego jury awarded Miller $13,148,000, including $12M for past noneconomic damages and $846,000 for future lost earnings.

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.