Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

Plaintiff Carli Rodriguez filed this class action lawsuit following a cyberattack on City of Hope's systems between September 19, 2023, and October 12, 2023. The complaint alleged that the organization failed to secure the Personal Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of approximately 800,000 individuals, including social security numbers and medical history. Rodriguez further claimed that City of Hope was negligent by waiting until April 2024—nearly six months after discovering the breach—to notify affected victims. The case, which involved claims of negligence, breach of implied contract, and privacy violations, was resolved with a settlement of $8,500,000.

In Bitech Technologies Corporation v. Michael Cao, a publicly traded green energy company filed suit alleging it was defrauded by consultants who promised a revolutionary power generation system called "Tesdison". Bitech claimed that after issuing millions of shares and paying substantial salaries to Michael Cao and his associates, the technology was revealed to be non-functional, relying on hidden batteries rather than the promised perpetual energy innovation. The complaint, which included allegations of fraud, conversion, and breach of fiduciary duty, detailed how the Defendants allegedly siphoned corporate funds for personal use while failing to deliver a commercial product. The dispute was ultimately resolved with a reported settlement of $6.3 million.

This case involved a significant motor vehicle collision on June 1, 2020, in Sacramento County, where Plaintiff Ashley Diaz suffered injuries after her vehicle collided with a truck operated by Zachary Deangelis and owned by A Better Moving & Storage Co., Inc. . Diaz filed suit alleging that the company had been negligent in entrusting the vehicle to an unfit driver and failed to properly train or supervise him. While the Defendants initially denied all liability and asserted that Diaz was comparatively at fault, the parties ultimately resolved the dispute with a settlement of $8,718,418.

On December 11, 2025, a federal jury in the Eastern District of Texas delivered a decisive victory for MyChoice, LLC and BarBoards, LLC in their patent infringement lawsuit against Taiv, Inc. The jury determined that Taiv had willfully infringed U.S. Patent No. 10,708,658, a patent covering systems that automate the replacement of undesirable content, such as commercials, on television broadcasts in venues like bars and restaurants. While Taiv argued that the patent claims were invalid, the jury rejected this defense, upholding the patent's validity. Consequently, the jury awarded the plaintiffs $2 million in damages, specified as a lump sum royalty for the past unauthorized use of the technology.

In the case of Marie Henriquez and Alfonso Martinez v. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the homeowners filed a breach of contract lawsuit following the denial of their insurance claim for damages sustained during Hurricane Ian. The insurer denied coverage, asserting that the damage to the property was not caused by the hurricane but was instead the result of "wear and tear, marring, chipping, scratches, dents, and/or deterioration". Following a trial in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Broward County, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the homeowners on key liability issues. The jurors determined that the plaintiffs suffered a direct physical loss during the policy period and explicitly rejected the defense's argument that the roof damage was caused by wear, tear, or deterioration.

A Fresno County Superior Court jury awarded over $4.4 million in damages to M.C. Watte Ranches and Brian Watte Farms, finding Nutrien Ag Solutions primarily liable for the loss of their 2020 pistachio harvest. The jury determined that Nutrien Ag Solutions was negligent in its advice regarding the application of the insecticide imidacloprid, which resulted in residue levels exceeding legal safety tolerances and rendered the crops unmarketable. While the jury attributed 20% of the responsibility to the farming operation, they assigned 80% of the fault to Nutrien, awarding significant lost profits and pre-judgment interest to the growers.

A Duval County jury awarded Alejandro Atanacio Saucedo $113,131.27 in medical expenses after finding that Michael Leslie Farrar negligently rear-ended Saucedo's vehicle while driving a company truck owned by Rite-Hite Holding Corporation. The January 2023 collision occurred on Port Jacksonville Parkway when Saucedo was stopped at a stop sign. However, the jury denied non-economic damages after determining Saucedo did not sustain a permanent injury under Florida's no-fault threshold requirements.

A Hartford Superior Court jury awarded Michelle Pollard $350,000 in economic damages after finding that her former attorney John Sodipo and Sodipo Law Group, P.C. committed legal malpractice. Pollard hired Sodipo to represent her following a 2012 rear-end collision, but he failed to file a timely underinsured motorist claim against GEICO, leaving her unable to recover additional compensation for her injuries.

In Dababneh v. Doja, Inc. et al, the plaintiff, Tania Dababneh, filed suit against her former employers in the Superior Court of San Bernardino County, alleging severe workplace misconduct. Ms. Dababneh claimed she was subjected to sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and a hostile work environment, which culminated in her wrongful termination in violation of public policy. On November 14, 2025, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. The jury found Doja, Inc. liable for discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination, and determined that individual defendant Ayad Jaber contributed to the hostile work environment. The jury awarded Ms. Dababneh $300,000 in past noneconomic damages and $800,000 in future noneconomic damages. Additionally, finding that Doja, Inc. acted with malice, oppression, or fraud, the jury assessed $900,000 in punitive damages against the corporation. The total judgment amounted to $2,000,000.

In Otranto v. RD America, LLC, the plaintiff, Ignacio Otranto, filed suit against the operators of a Restaurant Depot warehouse in Waterbury, Connecticut, following an incident on December 31, 2022. Mr. Otranto suffered significant injuries, including a crush injury and traumatic neuropraxia to his right thumb, when the top shelf of a shopping cart provided by the store collapsed during use. The plaintiff argued that the defendants were negligent in their duty to inspect and maintain the store's equipment, allowing a hazardous condition to persist. Following a trial in the Superior Court, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff on November 19, 2025. The jury awarded Mr. Otranto $9,321.19 in economic damages and $140,000.00 in noneconomic damages, resulting in a total judgment of $149,321.19.

James Thomas Simpson and his wife, Maria Luz Simpson, secured an $11.8 million settlement against the City of Los Angeles following a severe pedestrian accident in Chino, California. The lawsuit alleged that LAPD Officer Alex Anthony Pozo, driving a city-owned vehicle, negligently ran a red light while on duty. This traffic violation caused a third-party driver to lose control and strike James Simpson as he walked on a sidewalk, inflicting catastrophic physical and mental injuries.

Lajos "Lali" Hugyetz, a former five-time world champion kickboxer, sued luxury fitness company Equinox Holdings, Inc. for wrongful termination and disability discrimination. Hugyetz alleged that Equinox fired him while he was on protected medical leave to treat a severe hip condition and care for his ailing mother. He claimed the company failed to accommodate his medical restrictions and retaliated against him for taking leave. A Los Angeles jury found in favor of Hugyetz, determining that Equinox acted with malice, and awarded the plaintiff over $32 million in compensatory and punitive damages.