Jurimatic: Verdicts and Settlements

The Los Angeles County Superior Court finalized a $440,000 class action settlement in Nelson Miranda v. CA Glatt Mart, Inc. The lawsuit alleged that the supermarket operator systematically violated the California Labor Code by failing to provide proper minimum wage, overtime, accurate wage statements, and legally mandated meal and rest periods to hundreds of non-exempt, hourly-paid employees. The compromise concluded two years of litigation, providing financial relief to the class members for lost wages and statutory penalties.

Miami-Dade jury awards Bay Harbour Investment, Inc. $300,000 in damages after finding four defendants liable for fraud in the inducement and negligent misrepresentation in a disputed waterfront property transaction. The May 2025 verdict held 9740 W Bay Harbor Dr, LLC, SINA, LLC, and individuals Samuel Sami and Elias Sabbagh responsible for concealing material defects about the property's condition and development potential. Judge Antonio Arzola's final judgment includes pre-judgment interest from October 2021, with the court reserving jurisdiction over attorney's fees and enforcement. The three-year litigation centered on alleged intentional misstatements regarding sea wall problems and permitting issues that caused the buyer significant remediation costs and development delays.

A Connecticut jury awarded $80,000 to Barbara Zup after determining that Dr. Beenish Orr and Smile Center deviated from the dental standard of care during a series of implant procedures performed in 2021. Zup suffered severe complications, including infections, implant perforations into her sinus and nasal cavity, and ultimately sepsis requiring hospitalization. Subsequent evaluations revealed improperly placed implants, exposed threads, ill-fitting prostheses, and infected surgical sites. The jury found the Defendants liable for negligent treatment planning, execution, and follow-up care, awarding $60,000 in economic damages and $20,000 in non-economic damages.

In A.R. (Minor) et al. vs. M.P. (Minor) et al., the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County examined three serious intentional tort claims—simple battery, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress—brought by A.R. through her mother, Elida Villaroel, against fellow minor M.P. The lawsuit centered on allegations stemming from a December 2022 gathering at a Coral Gables High School friend’s apartment clubhouse. The Plaintiffs alleged non-consensual touching, penetration, and emotionally damaging conduct. They sought damages exceeding $30,000 and reserved the right to pursue punitive damages. The defense denied all allegations, arguing lack of intent, insufficient proof of outrageous conduct, and asserting affirmative defenses such as unclean hands. On May 30, 2025, the jury found in favor of the Defendant on all three counts. With no liability established, the jury did not reach the damages phase, resulting in a complete defense verdict and no monetary recovery for the Plaintiffs.

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.