Jury Awards $1.18M in Cemetery Crash Injury Lawsuit
Table of Contents
Case Background
A Los Angeles jury has reached a verdict in a civil lawsuit filed by Jay Mitsuru Takaki and Rosa I. Takaki against Jimmie Wayne Phillips, Bruce Phillips, and SCI California Funeral Services, Inc. The lawsuit, which the Takakis first filed on December 2, 2020, centered on a personal injury claim that followed a serious crash at a cemetery. The Plaintiffs alleged that a truck and trailer, which were heavily loaded with goods, lost control on a steep hill within the Eternal Valley Memorial Park and Mortuary property. The runaway trailer then slammed into the Takakis' vehicle, causing them to suffer serious injuries. The lawsuit claimed that the Defendants were responsible for the accident and the harm that came from it.
Cause
The complaint alleged that SCI California Funeral Services, Inc., which operated the cemetery, was careless for allowing the heavily loaded truck and trailer to enter the property and navigate its steep hills. The Plaintiffs argued that it was foreseeable that a truck in that situation could lose its brakes and become a danger to others. They stated that SCI could have—and should have—required the delivery to happen at a location outside the cemetery, where the items could be unloaded and then transported individually to their destinations. The Plaintiffs insisted that SCI’s choice to allow the truck and trailer to drive into the cemetery was an unnecessary risk that led directly to the crash.
Injury
As a result of the collision, both Plaintiffs sustained severe injuries. The Court documents did not provide specific medical details of their physical harm, but the jury's verdict awarded damages for a number of issues. The verdict form noted that the jury considered the physical pain, mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and physical impairment that the Plaintiffs had suffered. Additionally, the jury considered the Plaintiffs’ need for both past and future medical care as a result of the accident. The verdict form separated the damages for each Plaintiff, acknowledging the unique harm each person experienced from the event.
Damages Sought
The Takakis sought financial compensation for both the economic and non-economic harm they had suffered. The complaint asked for "general damages" for their pain and suffering and "special damages" for things like medical expenses and any other monetary losses. The Plaintiffs did not specify a total amount they were seeking at the time they filed the complaint. Instead, they asked the Court to determine the appropriate amount based on the evidence presented at trial.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff(s): Jay Mitsuru Takaki | Rosa I. Takaki
Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Kennith L. Peterson
Experts for Plaintiff(s): Alfredo Sadun | Kenneth Nudleman | Rick Friedman | Kendall Wagner | Michael Rubenstein | John Gardiner | Paul Herbert
Defendant(s): Jimmie Wayne Phillips | Bruce Phillips | SCI California Funeral Services, Inc. dba Eternal Valley Memorial Park & Mortuary
Counsel for Defendant(s): John M. Garrick | Andrew K. Doty
Experts for Defendant(s): Ronald Kvitne | Barry Ludwig | Benjamin Frishberg | Scott Forman
Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel
The Plaintiffs’ argument centered on the idea of negligence. Their complaint argued that the Defendants, and in particular SCI, did not act with the ordinary care a person would use to avoid harm to others. They contended that SCI had created an unnecessary hazard by bringing a heavily loaded truck into a public area with steep hills, and that this choice was the direct reason the Takakis were hurt.
Claims
The lawsuit included claims that the Defendants were negligent in several ways.
Premises Liability: The Plaintiffs claimed that SCI was negligent in the use and maintenance of its property. They asserted that the company did not keep the cemetery grounds in a reasonably safe condition for the public.
Negligence and Substantial Factor: The core of the complaint rested on the claim that SCI's actions were a substantial factor in causing the Plaintiffs' harm. This meant that the Plaintiffs had to show that the Defendants' choices played a significant role in the accident and the resulting injuries. The verdict form showed that the jury agreed with this claim.
Negligent Supervision: While the complaint did not explicitly name this claim as a separate count, the language used suggested that SCI was negligent in supervising or directing the actions of the truck driver.
Defense
The defense team for SCI California Funeral Services, Inc. had denied all the claims of negligence. They argued that SCI was not responsible for the Plaintiffs' injuries. In their answer, they stated that the Takakis' own carelessness or the actions of other parties were the sole cause of the accident. They also argued that the Plaintiffs had assumed the risk of being in the cemetery and that they had failed to take steps to lessen their own damages. The verdict form showed that the jury had found that Jimmie Wayne Phillips and Bruce Phillips had admitted their own liability, so that specific issue was not in dispute during the trial.
Jury Verdict
The jury in this case rendered a special verdict on May 15, 2025. They found that both SCI California Funeral Services, Inc. and Jimmie Wayne Phillips and Bruce Phillips were negligent, and that their negligence was a substantial factor in causing the harm to the Takakis.
The jury awarded the following damages:
For Jay Mitsuru Takaki:
Past non-economic damages (medical expenses, pain suffering): $200,000
Future non-economic damages: $160,000
Total for Jay Takaki: $360,000
For Rosa I. Takaki:
Past economic damages (medical expenses): $85,000
Past non-economic damages (pain, suffering, etc.): $500,000
Future economic damages (medical expenses): $35,000
Future non-economic damages: $200,000
Total for Rosa Takaki: $820,000
After they determined the total damages, the jury assigned percentages of fault for the accident. The jury found that SCI California Funeral Services, Inc. was 60% responsible for the harm, while Jimmie Wayne Phillips and Bruce Phillips were 40% responsible. The total percentage of fault came to 100%. Because the jury had found negligence on the part of the Defendants and their actions were a substantial cause of the harm, the Takakis were entitled to recover the full amount of the damages awarded.
Court documents are available upon request at jurimatic@exlitem.com