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Home Page Official Publication of the State Bar of California May2007
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Sexual harassment
Award: $18,401,880
A 25-year-old inventory clerk at Vons alleged that he was terminated after complaining about repeated sexual harassment from a female supervisor (Stevens v. The Vons Companies, Ventura County Superior Court).

Confidentiality agreement
Award: $37,500,000
A development company alleged that a potential investor breached a confidentiality agreement (Cisterra Partners LLC v. The Irvine Co., San Diego County Superior Court).

Wrongful termination
Award: $4,200,000
A deputy police chief for the Maywood Police Department alleged that he was wrongfully terminated from his position in retaliation for whistleblowing (Van Holt v. City of South Gate, Los Angeles CountySuperior Court).

Tax fraud
Award: $11,099,261
A client alleged breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and conversion against the attorney handling his tax matters (Gunderson v. Gruys, Los Angeles County Superior Court).

Gallbladder surgery
Award: $1,000,000
A patient alleged that her common bile duct was negligently transected during gallbladder removal surgery (Confidential v. Confidential, Orange County Superior Court).

Dog bite
Award: $757,719
A subcontractor was bitten by the general contractor’s dog, which was allowed to run free on the job site (Wilson v. Simoni, El Dorado County Superior Court).

Trip and fall
Award: $1,000,000
An 80-year-old woman was injured when she tripped and fell over a wheel stop in a parking lot (Paige v. Smart & Final, Los Angeles County Superior Court).

Bad faith
Award: $1,319,000
Homeowners alleged bad faith failure by their insurer to pay benefits after their home was destroyed by fire (Major v. Western Home Insurance Co., San Diego County Superior Court).

Leg crushed
Award: $900,000
A carpenter at a residential job site sustained a severely crushed leg when a wooden beam weighing several hundred pounds fell from the top of a load of lumber (Markiewicz v. Mead Clark Lumber Co., Sonoma 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.

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