Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

The legal battle between Pilot Thomas Logistics (PTL) and the City and County of San Francisco began after a persistent oil sheen appeared on the San Francisco Bay in August 2020. Federal investigations by the EPA traced the leak to an underground pipeline near Hyde Street Harbor, which PTL operated but the Port of San Francisco had designed decades earlier. PTL alleged that the city provided a defective facility and failed to maintain a functional leak-detection system, leading to a massive red-dye biodiesel spill. This incident forced the closure of PTL’s marine fuel terminal and triggered extensive cleanup and remediation costs. While the city argued that PTL was responsible for the leak due to operational negligence, the parties ultimately reached a $55,000,000 settlement to resolve claims of breach of contract, negligence, and environmental indemnity.

Dr. Matthew Heckman, a family physician specialized in obstetrics, filed a lawsuit against UPMC Susquehanna and North Penn Comprehensive Health Services following his termination in April 2020. Dr. Heckman, who had served as Chief Medical Officer, alleged he was fired for blowing the whistle on what he described as UPMC’s illegal corporate control over North Penn, a Federally Qualified Health Center. He claimed the health system prioritized profits over rural patient care, specifically regarding obstetric services and clinic closures during the pandemic. The Defendants denied these claims, asserting that Dr. Heckman was the one who breached his contractual duties. On December 4, 2025, a federal jury in Pennsylvania found that while a contract existed and a breach occurred, the Defendants' actions resulted in $40,000 in damages for the Plaintiff.

In a significant first-party insurance dispute, Carlex Glass America, LLC secured a $14.4 million jury verdict against Sompo America Insurance Company following a trial in the Middle District of Tennessee. The case stemmed from a tornado that struck the area surrounding a Carlex manufacturing facility, causing extensive damage to specialized float line equipment. While Carlex operated under a "Comprehensive All Risk" policy, Sompo denied full compensation, leading to claims for breach of contract and declaratory relief. The jury deliberated on whether Sompo had failed its obligations regarding both physical property damage and "time element" losses. Ultimately, the jurors found Sompo liable for the equipment damage but ruled in favor of the insurer regarding the business interruption claims, as Carlex did not sufficiently prove those specific financial losses were caused by the covered peril. The final judgment, entered on January 30, 2026, awarded Carlex the full $14.4 million for its property damage claims.

Fabiola Benison’s family outing to the Miami Seaquarium turned into a multi-year legal battle after she tripped on a vertically separated section of asphalt. The fall resulted in permanent injuries to her right hand, leading to a lawsuit against Festival Fun Parks, LLC and Palace Entertainment Holdings, LLC. While the defense argued the hazard was "obvious" and that Benison was at fault for not seeing it, the jury disagreed. They found the park 100% negligent for failing to maintain safe walkways, awarding Benison $520,000 for medical expenses and significant pain and suffering.

The legal battle between Cleber Barbosa Silva and Roberto Caldero concluded in the Hartford Superior Court following a dispute over a 2023 motor vehicle collision. Silva alleged that while he traveled south on New Park Avenue, Caldero abruptly changed lanes without signaling, causing a rear-end impact that sent Silva’s vehicle into a curb. Silva sought damages for neck and back injuries, citing medical expenses and a diminished quality of life. However, the defense successfully argued that Silva contributed to the accident through inattentiveness and following too closely. On December 19, 2025, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the Defendant, Roberto Caldero, awarding no damages to the Plaintiff.

On a clear morning in September 2019, Andre Cenous and his three passengers were stopped in traffic at a Miami intersection when a City of Miami vehicle, driven by Officer Calzadilla, struck them from behind. The impact led to a four-year legal battle as the occupants claimed the collision caused permanent physical impairments and significant mental anguish. While the City admitted the officer was on duty, the defense successfully argued that the minor impact did not cause the extensive medical issues reported by the Plaintiffs. In October 2025, a Miami-Dade jury agreed with the defense, finding that the accident was not the legal cause of the Plaintiffs' injuries and awarding zero damages.

In the matter of Janeen Duarte v. Rivera's Landscaping LLC and Mario Alberto Estrada-Macias, the Plaintiff sought damages following a two-vehicle collision on July 21, 2021, on Danbury Road in Wilton, Connecticut. Duarte alleged that while she was stationary and preparing to turn into a Shell gas station, Estrada-Macias—operating a vehicle for Rivera's Landscaping—struck her from behind. The Plaintiff cited negligence, including failure to keep a proper lookout and following too closely, claiming the impact resulted in cervical and lumbar strains, exacerbation of spinal disc conditions, and lost earning capacity. Despite Duarte's detailed medical testimony and claims of vicarious liability against the landscaping company, the defense challenged the extent of the negligence and the causality of the injuries. Following a trial in the Superior Court of the Judicial District of Stamford/Norwalk, the jury returned a verdict on January 28, 2026, in favor of the Defendants on all counts. Judge Bothwell accepted the verdict, resulting in no financial recovery for the Plaintiff.

A Connecticut jury returned a defense verdict in favor of Donald Welch LLC on January 16, 2026, in a premises liability lawsuit filed by subcontractor Kenneth Romans Jr. The plaintiff alleged he suffered catastrophic injuries, including cerebral hemorrhage and severe cervical spinal stenosis requiring fusion surgery, after tripping on an unsecured ram board while ascending basement stairs at a Branford construction site in April 2021. The jury unanimously found that Romans was an invitee on the property but determined the defendant was not negligent in any of the ways alleged, concluding the trial without reaching questions about damages or comparative fault.

A Connecticut jury awarded Raoul Gouin over $2.5 million after he slipped on oil in a parking garage at Crown Pointe Apartments in Danbury. The jury found the property owner and manager 99 percent at fault for failing to maintain safe conditions and warn visitors about the hazard. Gouin suffered a fractured right humerus and ongoing shoulder pain from the October 2023 fall.

A federal jury in Marshall, Texas awarded Longitude Licensing Limited and 138 East LCD Advancements Limited $66,865,027 after finding that BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. willfully infringed three patents covering liquid crystal display technology. The jury determined that the Chinese display manufacturer violated patents related to LCD devices, electro-optical devices, and semiconductor display technology. Judge Rodney Gilstrap entered final judgment on January 27, 2026, declining to enhance damages despite the willfulness finding.

In a landmark resolution within the Northern District of California, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. agreed to a $150,000,000 settlement to resolve a securities class action lawsuit led by investor Michael Drieu. The legal battle began after Zoom’s stock price reached record highs during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, fueled by corporate assurances of "end-to-end encryption" and robust privacy protocols. However, the plaintiff alleged that these claims were deceptive, revealing that Zoom’s servers maintained access to decryption keys and that user data was shared with third parties like Facebook without proper disclosure. Following a series of stock price drops and institutional bans on the software, investors sued for financial losses. While Zoom denied any intentional wrongdoing and successfully dismissed portions of the complaint, the tech giant ultimately opted for a massive payout to end the litigation, marking one of the most significant pandemic-era settlements in the tech sector.

In a major resolution for California labor rights, World Financial Group (WFG) agreed to a $65 million settlement to resolve long-standing allegations of worker misclassification. The lawsuit, spearheaded by Tricia Yeomans, represented a class of approximately 25,000 associates who claimed the insurance giant treated them as employees while denying them basic legal protections. The Plaintiffs argued that under California’s "ABC test," WFG exercised excessive control over their work methods and corporate policy adherence. By labeling them independent contractors, the company allegedly avoided paying minimum wages, overtime, and business expenses. After nearly seven years of litigation and extensive discovery, Judge Christine Van Aken approved the settlement in early 2025, providing significant recovery for unpaid wages and PAGA penalties.