Negligence

A legal battle spanning several years concluded in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court when a jury held the owners and operators of Flash Dancers Nightclub accountable for the 2019 shooting death of Stephen R. Walker. The estate successfully argued that the defendants failed to provide adequate security despite a known history of criminal activity in the area. The jury found that both the landlord, Krej Leasing, Inc., and the operator, OC Flashdancers, LLC, exhibited wanton negligence. Specifically, the court determined that the defendants failed to warn the victim of dangerous conditions on the premises. The final verdict apportioned 80% of the fault to the nightclub operator and 20% to the leasing company, awarding $305,000.60 to cover funeral expenses and the mental pain and suffering of Walker's surviving children.

In a subrogation lawsuit filed in Butte County Superior Court, Fire Insurance Exchange sought to recover $213,446.26 from property owners Gary and Helen Botsford after a tree from their Paradise, California property fell and damaged a neighboring home in October 2021. While the jury found the Botsfords were negligent in maintaining their trees, they concluded this negligence was not a substantial factor in causing the damage. Judge Stephen E. Benson entered judgment favoring the defendants on October 22, 2025, awarding them costs of suit and denying the insurance company any recovery.

A Connecticut jury delivered a defense verdict on October 30, 2025, in a wrongful birth medical malpractice lawsuit filed by Lyanne Santos-Reyes against her obstetric care providers. Santos-Reyes alleged that Dr. Rachel L. Leonardi and Naugatuck Valley Women's Health Specialists failed to detect her daughter's spina bifida during prenatal ultrasounds in 2018, depriving her of the opportunity to terminate the pregnancy. The plaintiff claimed the August 2018 ultrasounds failed to properly visualize the fetal spine, and she was never informed about incomplete anatomical views or offered additional testing. Her daughter was born with meningomyelocele, the most severe form of spina bifida, requiring lifetime care. The defendants denied all negligence claims, and the jury found in their favor on all issues.

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.

The Orange County Superior Court resolved the medical malpractice lawsuit of Tanisha R. Jackett and Kelvin Jackett v. The Regents of the University of California with a final, negotiated settlement of $550,000. The suit centered on the negligent care Mrs. Jackett received during a complex, nearly twenty-hour Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flap procedure at the University of California Irvine Medical Center in October 2020. The Plaintiffs alleged that the medical staff failed to meet the proper standard of care, arguing that improper positioning during the lengthy surgery caused serious, lasting injury. This negligence resulted in Mrs. Jackett suffering from severe headaches, eventually diagnosed as occipital neuralgia, along with hair loss and persistent swelling, injuries she continued to suffer from. Her husband, Kelvin Jackett, sought damages for loss of consortium, as his wife's injuries had severely disrupted their marital relationship. The Regents of the University of California denied the claims, raising defenses that invoked California's MICRA laws, which cap non-economic damages at $250,000 for medical negligence. Despite the strong defense, the parties ultimately negotiated the six-figure settlement, which the Court approved, bringing the high-stakes personal injury case to a conclusion before a jury trial.

A San Diego construction defects case ended in a $1.4 million settlement after PB Ocean Condos, LLC sued general contractor KDTD, Inc. dba KD Development over widespread building failures at a 16-unit apartment complex. The property owner alleged the contractor failed to properly supervise construction work, resulting in flat roof drainage problems, excessive stucco cracking, balcony waterproofing failures, window and door leaks, corroded HVAC systems, and water intrusion throughout the structure. The lawsuit, filed in September 2024 in San Diego Superior Court, asserted claims for negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, and breach of contract stemming from a March 2018 construction agreement. The defendant denied all allegations and raised 44 affirmative defenses before the parties reached a settlement resolution.

Two young brothers secured a $10.5 million settlement against San Bernardino County and multiple social workers after the Department of Children and Family Services failed to protect them from abuse and returned them to parents who ultimately tortured and murdered their infant brother Jamari Mendez in April 2022. The plaintiffs, identified as J.G. and J.M., witnessed their baby brother's killing after social workers ignored warning signs including documented domestic violence, drug use, and protective orders against their father Ricardo Mendez. The case settled in March 2025, days before trial was scheduled to begin.

The case of Davis v. Home 2 U 9, LLC, et al., filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, reached a $1,000,000 settlement, concluding the intense litigation over a residential care facility's failure to supervise a dangerous resident. The plaintiffs, Carlos Davis and his minor daughter, H.D. Doe, had sued the operator, HOME 2 U 9, LLC, for negligence and premises liability. The complaint charged that the defendant completely breached its duty when it allowed a registered sex offender, known to pose a significant risk, to leave the facility unsupervised while the overnight caregiver slept. That lack of supervision directly resulted in a devastating incident that caused H.D. Doe to suffer severe and lasting emotional distress, anxiety, and depression. The defendant consistently denied liability, arguing the resident's criminal acts were unforeseeable. However, after extensive legal proceedings and the exchange of strong expert testimony on facility protocol and child psychology, the parties agreed to the seven-figure settlement in August 2025, thus avoiding a highly publicized jury trial.

This case arose after a dangerous 60-foot manual sliding gate collapsed on tenant Christopher Huynh behind his business in Stanton, California. The heavy gate pinned him to the ground, causing paralysis, spinal damage, and long-term disability. His wife, Christine Vu, later became his full-time caregiver. The couple alleged the property owners and managers ignored warnings about the unsafe gate, failed to maintain the premises, and instructed Huynh to close it each night. As trial approached, the parties reached a $10.8 million settlement reflecting the permanent injuries, profound loss of mobility, and the life-changing impact on the couple’s future.

A $3.5 million settlement closed the negligence lawsuit between passenger Izumi Streller and the City of Santa Monica after a fall aboard a Big Blue Bus left her injured. The incident occurred when the bus driver, Rochelle McCovery, allegedly accelerated before Streller could secure herself, causing her to fall and strike her head. Streller’s attorneys argued that the city, as a public carrier, failed to meet its duty of providing the highest level of passenger safety. The City denied wrongdoing, claiming it maintained proper standards and that Streller contributed to her own fall. After two years of litigation, both parties reached an unconditional settlement on August 6, 2025, avoiding trial and providing financial compensation for Streller’s injuries and suffering.

An 11-year-old girl, Lyric Jointer, reached a $200,000 settlement with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor after suffering a severe second-degree burn while unsupervised at the Harbor City Club. The lawsuit accused the organization of negligence for failing to provide proper supervision, which led to Lyric spilling scalding soup on herself. Filed by her mother and guardian, the case sought compensation for medical care, permanent scarring, and emotional distress. The confidential agreement, finalized on April 25, 2025, resolved all claims and avoided a jury trial.

A $1 million settlement ended a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Sade and Lorenzo Mitchell against UCI Medical Center after the death of their newborn son, Malachi. The parents alleged medical negligence during labor, claiming the hospital delayed critical interventions despite signs of distress. Malachi was delivered by emergency cesarean but died weeks later. The Regents of the University of California denied wrongdoing but agreed to settle, closing the emotional case without a trial.