Truck rollover
Award: $3,050,000
A 35-year-old driver was rendered a quadriplegic when her pickup plunged down a steep embankment that was not protected by a guardrail, resulting in a rollover in which her neck was crushed by the roof of the vehicle (Rivera v. Ford Motor Co., Alameda County Superior Court).

Boat accident
Award: $5,500,000
A 65-year-old woman was crushed to death between a shuttle boat and a houseboat at a marina (Lindblad v. Fun-Time Full-Time Inc., Butte County Superior Court).

Head-on collision
Award: $7,750,000
A mother and daughter sustained severe injuries when their vehicle was struck head-on by a drunk driver who crossed the center line into their lane (Smith v. Vista Verde Farms, Fresno County Superior Court).

Breast reduction
Award: Defense
A 39-year-old breast reduction surgical patient alleged that the procedure resulted in excessive scarring (Salim v. Halls, San Diego County Superior Court).

Elevator shaft fall
Award: $10,563,862
A 45-year-old construction superintendent sustained permanently disabling injuries when he slipped and fell into an unguarded elevator pit (Scott v. Richter & Rather Contracting Corp., San Francisco County Superior Court).

Vehicle fatality
Award: $6,000,000
A 39-year-old wife and mother was killed in a collision with a commercial truck that pulled out in front of her vehicle (Thompson v. Ferguson Enterprises Inc., Riverside County Superior Court).

Pedestrian struck
Award: $790,000
A pedestrian was injured when she was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street in a crosswalk (Albarracin v. Yim, Los Angeles County Superior Court).

Waste management
Award: $22,402,759
A waste management company sued the City of Compton for terminating a franchise agreement; the city successfully cross-complained for return of monies paid after discovering that the company’s owner was convicted of attempted bribery (Hub City Solid Waste Services Inc. v. City of Compton, Los Angeles County Superior Court).

Sexual harassment
Award: Defense
A female systems analyst alleged that she was terminated from her job with PG&E after filing complaints regarding sexual harassment against several employees (Atienza v. Pacific Gas and Electric Co., San Francisco County Superior Court).

Editor's Note: California Bar Journal publishes this abbreviated summary of important trials in California provided by Trials Digest, a Thomson West business. To report your case results, go to west.thomson.com/trialsdigest/form.asp or call 415-344-6000.