Auto Negligence

A Los Angeles jury on May 28, 2025, found truck driver Vladimir Babenkov negligent for a rear-end crash on the 101 Freeway. Plaintiff Blanca Estela Flores Cortes was awarded $15,135 for medical expenses and pain and suffering, while co-plaintiff Jose M. Diaz received no damages despite the jury finding negligence. The verdict held Babenkov and his employer, Solve, Inc., accountable for unsafe driving and supervision.

Miami jury awarded $150,066.60 in damages after a 2022 collision involving a commercial dump truck. Baker, who had been struck while driving through an intersection, claimed permanent injuries and emotional trauma. Nancy Padilla, the driver, had failed to yield and fled the scene. The defense argued Baker bore some fault and disputed the severity of her injuries. However, the jury sided with Baker, finding she suffered a permanent injury and deserved compensation for her medical costs and emotional suffering.

In the case of Alejandro Alonso v. City of Los Angeles et al., Plaintiff Alejandro Alonso sued the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, the State of California, and Cesar Corona for negligence after a sanitation tractor struck him while he was riding his bicycle on November 5, 2021. Alonso suffered severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures. He sought damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The settlement concluded the litigation, and the plaintiff was required to file a dismissal.

Plaintiff Anoush Grboyan sued Defendant Paul Jerrard Bingaman and the City of Los Angeles over a rear-end collision on Topanga Canyon Boulevard. She claimed negligence and statutory violations under California Vehicle Code section 22350. Defendants denied liability and raised multiple affirmative defenses. On July 30, 2024, the parties reached an unconditional settlement of $175,000, resolving all claims and vacating the trial date.

On May 9, 2021, Juan Jose Perez and Adriana S. Osorio collided with a City-owned vehicle driven by employee Nathaniel Miranda at South Broadway and West 67th Street. They alleged Miranda’s reckless driving and the City’s negligent entrustment, training, and supervision caused serious injuries and lasting harm. Claims cited motor vehicle and general negligence under California Government and Vehicle Codes. The City and Miranda denied fault, citing comparative negligence, statutory immunities, and procedural defenses. In August 2024, both sides reached a conditional settlement, pending Los Angeles City Council approval, resolving all claims.

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.

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.

Plaintiff Cedric Taite brought a negligence action after a December 2019 freeway collision in South El Monte. He alleged Defendants Omar Penaloza, J.J. Associates Inc., and J.J. Kane Associates Inc. operated and entrusted a vehicle negligently, causing serious injuries and financial losses. Defendants denied liability and raised multiple defenses, including comparative negligence and assumption of risk. The case settled unconditionally on April 25, 2025, for $3,000,000, avoiding a scheduled May 27, 2025 trial in Los Angeles Superior Court.

A Miami-Dade jury awarded Danielle M. Tirado $906,100.98 for injuries sustained when Publix employee Benedicto R. Alvarez’s truck caused falling branches to strike a motorcycle on which she was riding. The jury found Publix and Alvarez 35% at fault, with the remainder assigned to Miami-Dade County. Publix later satisfied its share of the judgment, closing a high-stakes negligence and vicarious liability case.

In Libitzky & Dozal v. City of Los Angeles, LAPD, and Officer Cindy Cabrera, Plaintiffs alleged Cabrera failed to yield at a stop sign, causing a crash on Sunset Boulevard in January 2021. They claimed serious bodily injuries, emotional distress, and economic losses. Defendants denied liability, raised affirmative defenses, and cited statutory immunities under the California Government Code and Vehicle Code. The case resolved with a $540,000 settlement, compensating the Plaintiffs for their injuries and damages without proceeding to trial.

On August 20, 2021, Courtney Gwiazdon’s car was rear-ended by a company vehicle driven by Nate Golden on SE Stark Street in Portland. Golden worked for La Provence Wholesale, LLC, which owned the car. Gwiazdon claimed negligence, negligence per se, and employer liability, citing whiplash, concussion, and post-concussion syndrome with lasting symptoms. She sought under $1 million in damages. The defense admitted the collision but disputed the severity of her injuries, pointing to pre-existing conditions and failure to mitigate. After trial, a Multnomah County jury on August 22, 2025, sided with Golden and La Provence Wholesale, finding no damages caused by negligence. Gwiazdon received no compensation.

A Los Angeles County jury awarded Elizabeth McAlister $36.4 million in her negligence lawsuit against Angela Lisa Thompson. The case arose from a 2021 crash in Palmdale where Thompson’s unsafe left turn caused a violent collision. McAlister suffered lasting injuries, required extensive medical care, and endured significant emotional distress. The jury’s verdict included compensation for pet injury costs, millions for future medical expenses, and substantial sums for past and future pain and suffering.