Motor Vehicle Accident

In Pizarro v. Grandison, et al., Plaintiff Jessica Pizarro sued driver Wayne Grandison and his employer, S.E. Funeral Homes of Florida, after a September 22, 2020 motor vehicle collision in Orange County. Pizarro alleged Grandison negligently caused the crash while operating a company-owned vehicle in the course of his employment, leading to permanent injuries to her nose and neck. She sought damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and non-economic losses, contingent on proving permanent impairment under Florida’s no-fault threshold. The defense denied negligence and argued that Pizarro failed to establish any permanent injury with medical certainty. After a February 21, 2025 jury trial, the panel found Pizarro did not sustain a permanent injury to either her nose or neck. Under Florida law, this finding barred any award for pain and suffering, resulting in a total recovery of zero dollars. Judgment was entered in favor of Defendants Wayne Grandison and S.E. Funeral Homes of Florida, LLC, fully resolving the case.

In Bradley Andersohn et al. v. Leroy Cross et al., a Santa Cruz County jury issued a detailed verdict following a collision between an electric bicycle and a construction trailer on November 29, 2021. Plaintiff Bradley Andersohn was riding in a marked bike lane when a trailer towed by Defendant Leroy Cross crossed into the lane, struck the bicycle, and caused severe injuries. The Plaintiffs alleged motor vehicle negligence, general negligence, and loss of consortium, also seeking to hold trailer owner Michael Price and Price Construction liable through agency and permissive-use theories. The jury found Cross negligent and determined that Michael Price, as the trailer’s owner, had granted permissive use, creating liability for Price and his company. However, the jury also concluded that Andersohn was 95% responsible for the accident. Total damages were calculated at $593,500 for Bradley Andersohn and $25,000 for Debra Andersohn, but the overwhelming comparative-fault apportionment sharply limited the Plaintiffs' actual recovery. The February 21, 2025 verdict closed a complex dispute over liability, agency, permissive use, and responsibility within bike-lane traffic incidents.

A Los Angeles County jury awarded $1,183,163.44 to plaintiff Vincent Carlos Hamlin after finding 562 Express Inc. and its driver, Andrew Eleazar Menendez, negligent in a commercial truck collision. Hamlin’s lawsuit, filed in September 2024, alleged that Menendez operated the company vehicle carelessly, violating California traffic laws. The jury found the Defendants 100% responsible for the crash and rejected claims of comparative fault. The damages covered past and future medical costs, lost wages, and long-term pain and suffering. Judge Michael P. Vicencia entered final judgment on October 23, 2025, affirming the verdict and ordering the Defendants to pay the full amount plus interest and costs.

A Santa Clara County jury found no negligence by driver Bruce Tran in a 2023 high-speed rear-end crash on Highway 101, ruling fully in favor of the defense. The plaintiffs, Ayron Romo, Elva Romo, and Ana Mendez, claimed severe injuries but failed to prove fault against Tran or vehicle owner Tonya Lien. The verdict, delivered on September 3, 2025, absolved all defendants of liability and closed the case without damages awarded.

A major lawsuit alleging catastrophic injury and governmental negligence in Los Angeles concluded with a significant $9.5 million settlement before the case reached a jury. Plaintiffs Jean Yuna Horihata and Mark Rappaport filed the lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and driver Luis Gaytan Hernandez following a severe traffic collision. Horihata sustained life-altering injuries in the crash. The plaintiffs asserted that the accident resulted from the driver’s careless operation of his vehicle and a dangerous condition on public property which the City of Los Angeles had failed to fix or warn the public about. The defense for the City of Los Angeles and the driver had initially denied all claims of wrongdoing, arguing that the roadway was reasonably safe and that their actions had not caused the tragedy. Despite their vigorous defense, the defendants agreed to the substantial payment, resolving all claims and avoiding a lengthy, high-stakes trial. The $9.5 million figure reflected the devastating nature of Horihata’s injuries and the considerable cost of her necessary lifelong care. The final settlement closed the case, formally known as Horihata, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, et al., in the Superior Court of California.

The personal injury case Roger Daigle v. Ashley Monick, et al. (AAN-CV19-6033189-S) concluded on October 3, 2025, with a defense verdict. Plaintiff Roger Daigle filed suit in 2019 following a March 2017 rear-end collision on Howe Avenue in Shelton, Connecticut, claiming the defendant, Ashley Monick, negligently struck his stopped vehicle and caused severe, lasting injuries requiring extensive medical care. The trial centered on the disparity between the plaintiff's claimed serious injuries and the low-impact nature of the crash. While Mr. Daigle's experts affirmed the injuries were a direct result of the trauma, the defense experts challenged this causation, suggesting the ailments were pre-existing or exaggerated. After several years of litigation and weeks of trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant, Ashley Monick, and against the plaintiff, Roger Daigle. This finding confirmed that Mr. Daigle had not successfully proven his claim of negligence, concluding the six-year legal battle with no damages awarded.

The personal injury case Terrance Brown v. Andrew Corazzini, et al. (NNH-CV24-6139139-S) concluded on September 24, 2025, with a defense verdict. Plaintiff Terrance Brown, a passenger injured during an August 2022 collision between a Connecticut Transit bus and a private vehicle on Broadway Street in New Haven, filed suit against the private vehicle’s owner and operator, Andrew and Chiara Corazzini. Mr. Brown alleged that the Corazzini driver's negligent operation caused the crash, which resulted in his serious and painful injuries. Throughout the trial, counsel for Mr. Brown, led by Frank P. Cirillo, presented expert testimony on crash reconstruction and medical causation, arguing for money damages of not less than $15,000.00. The defense, represented by Michael Quinlan, forcefully denied negligence and contested the severity and origin of the alleged injuries. After deliberation, the jury returned a verdict firmly in favor of the Defendant, Corazzini, as against the Plaintiff, Terrance Brown. The finding confirmed that Mr. Brown had not met his legal burden to prove that the defendants' negligence caused his injuries.

Rogelio Hernandez filed suit against the City of Los Angeles and LAPD Detective Natalie Plascencia after an LAPD vehicle struck him in a designated crosswalk while he was in his wheelchair. The collision caused multiple severe bone fractures, including olecranon, acetabular, and tibia fractures, necessitating several days of hospitalization and leading to permanent disability claims. The lawsuit alleged General Negligence, arguing the detective failed to operate her vehicle safely within the scope of her employment. After facing strong evidence, likely including video footage of the incident, the City opted to resolve the matter before trial, paying the plaintiff a $15.25 million settlement to cover extensive past and future medical costs, pain, suffering, and loss of earning capacity.

A Jacksonville jury in the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Duval County delivered a landmark verdict on November 21, 2024, awarding Plaintiff Lathen Jarrard Bromell over $1 million in damages after a motor vehicle accident. Bromell had sued Defendant John Latulippe for negligence following an April 2022 collision, claiming he sustained serious, permanent injuries. The key contention in the trial was whether Bromell’s injuries crossed the "permanent injury threshold" required by Florida law for non-economic damages. The defense had argued that any injuries were minor or pre-existing. However, the jury definitively answered "YES" to the question of permanency, paving the way for a major damages award. The total judgment for Bromell reached $1,080,648.55. This included $80,648.55 for past medical expenses and a substantial $500,000.00 for future medical care. Furthermore, the jury compensated the Plaintiff for his suffering, awarding $200,000.00 for past pain and suffering, and an additional $300,000.00 for future pain, suffering, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life. The verdict affirmed the severity of the Plaintiff’s lifelong physical burdens caused by the Defendant's negligence.

In Dwight William Dudley v. Abel Arteaga De Leon and ARTLUX Builders Corp, a Los Angeles County jury determined that the defendants’ negligence played a substantial role in causing Dudley’s injuries from a 2022 collision on Lomita Boulevard. The verdict, delivered on September 11, 2025, awarded $162,250 in total damages — including $2,250 for future medical expenses and $160,000 for past pain and suffering. The case centered on whether De Leon, operating a company vehicle for ARTLUX Builders, failed to drive responsibly and thereby caused the crash. Dudley, represented by Kirtland & Packard LLP, claimed the impact left him with lasting physical and emotional harm that disrupted his work and daily life. The defense, led by Wingert Grebing Brubaker & Walshok LLP, denied liability, arguing that other factors could have caused the accident and that Dudley’s claimed injuries were overstated. After reviewing the evidence and testimony, jurors sided with the plaintiff, concluding that De Leon’s negligent driving directly caused Dudley’s losses. This verdict highlights how California juries weigh negligence, causation, and damages in auto injury cases involving employer liability.

A Connecticut jury on August 20, 2025, ruled in favor of Plaintiff Veronica Delandro in her lawsuit against Safeco Insurance Company of Illinois. The case arose from a 2022 hit-and-run collision in New Britain that left Delandro injured and facing mounting medical expenses. After Safeco refused to pay uninsured motorist benefits under her policy, Delandro filed suit. Following trial, the jury awarded her $900,000 in total damages, including $521,596.53 in economic losses and $378,403 in non-economic damages. The verdict reinforced that insurance carriers must honor policy obligations when victims suffer from the negligence of uninsured or unidentified drivers.

A Connecticut jury delivered a massive verdict on July 22nd, 2025, awarding Don D. Zemo, IV $40.5 million in total damages after a serious 2021 motorcycle accident in Oakville. The collision, which involved Mr. Zemo's motorcycle and a Ford Explorer near the defendant company's premises, resulted in a comminuted femur fracture and multiple fractured vertebrae for the plaintiff. The jury determined Mr. Zemo's total gross damages were $45 million. Applying comparative negligence, the jury assigned 65% fault to MYHOOPTY.COM, LLC and 25% fault to driver Dwayne Conley, leaving Mr. Zemo with only 10% fault. Since his fault was less than the combined 90% fault of the defendants, the court reduced the gross award by 10%, resulting in the final net award of $40,500,000.00.