Motor Vehicle Accident

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.

A St. Joseph County jury returned a verdict in favor of the City of Mishawaka in a wrongful death lawsuit. The parents of a minor who died in a 2020 car crash sued the City, alleging that a high-speed police pursuit constituted negligence. The suit claimed the Mishawaka Police Department breached its duty by pursuing a vehicle suspected only of property damage through a residential area, violating reasonable policing standards. The Defendant denied all negligence and asserted several affirmative defenses, including governmental immunity and that the third-party driver's actions were the proximate cause of death. After a three-day trial, the jury found for the City, closing the case against the municipality.

In DeKalb County, Georgia, Jeffery Sharp sued Marlon Williams after a rear-end collision left Sharp with permanent spinal injuries. Sharp argued Williams’s negligent driving caused the crash, while Williams blamed Sharp for stopping abruptly. After hearing evidence on liability and damages, a jury on April 25, 2025, awarded Sharp $3.25 million, assigning 83% fault to Williams and 17% to Sharp, rejecting the defense’s attempt to downplay injuries or shift blame.

On July 23, 2025, a Miami-Dade County jury sided with Defendant Jocelyne Timeny in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a three-vehicle collision. The case was brought by Japhia Exantus, acting as personal representative of her late mother, Benita Felimond. Exantus alleged that Timeny and co-defendant Calebe Homilus drove carelessly, causing the crash that killed Felimond. The Plaintiffs sought compensation for loss of companionship, mental pain and suffering, and funeral expenses. The defense denied negligence, arguing that Felimond’s own actions or third parties contributed to the crash. After reviewing evidence and arguments, the jury concluded Timeny was not negligent and not legally responsible for damages. The verdict ended the case in favor of the Defendants.

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.

On April 5, 2021, Laurie Nolan’s Lexus was rear-ended on Pacific Coast Highway near Driftwood Drive, Los Angeles. City employee Luis Diego, driving a City-owned Ford Taurus, struck Daniela Ruiz’s Ford Explorer, pushing it into Nolan’s vehicle. Nolan alleged both Diego’s unsafe speed and Ruiz’s negligent driving caused the crash. She suffered serious injuries, pain, and wage loss, seeking compensatory and punitive damages. The City and Ruiz denied liability, citing comparative negligence, statutory immunities, and other defenses. On June 14, 2024, Nolan settled for $200,000, resolving all claims ahead of the July 2024 trial.

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.

A July 20, 2020 crash on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles led to a negligence suit. Plaintiff Jesunita Agasang claimed severe injuries and financial loss after Defendant Nasreen Babu-Khan’s vehicle struck her Toyota. Babu-Khan denied fault, citing comparative negligence and third-party liability. A Los Angeles jury found Babu-Khan 60% at fault and Agasang 40%, awarding $70,000 in damages for future medical care and past non-economic losses.

The case arose from a collision between a bicyclist and a motorist on July 7, 2021, in Essex, Connecticut. Mark C. Diebolt, a competitive triathlete and official member of Team USA, had been riding his bicycle north on Route 154, approaching the intersection with South Cove Lane. The road descended sharply toward the intersection. South Cove Lane, connected to Route 154 from the east.As Diebolt approached the intersection, a GMC Yukon Denali driven by Keith B. Neilson moved forward from South Cove Lane into the roadway. Neilson had been looking to his right to check traffic, advancing past vegetation that obscured his view. Diebolt saw the SUV enter his path and braked hard, but he collided with the vehicle’s driver-side front corner. The force threw him over the handlebars, onto the windshield, and then to the pavement.Diebolt claimed the crash happened because Neilson had failed to yield the right of way and had moved into the main road without ensuring it was safe.