Jury Awards $1.18M in Cemetery Crash Injury Lawsuit

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