Lineman electrocuted
Award: $29,000,000
A 36-year-old cable lineman suffered catastrophic injuries when he came into contact with a 7,200-volt power line (Tuiaki v. Adelphia, San Francisco Co. Sup. Ct., Plaintiff attorney: Timothy G. Tietjen).

Unsolicited faxes
Award: $253,813,500
A class action lawsuit was brought for unlawful advertising in violation of the Tele-phone Consumers Protection Act of 1991, which prohibits unsolicited facsimile advertising (Amkraut v. Pacific Coast Office Products, Los Angeles Co. Sup. Ct., Plaintiff attorney: Jamie R. Schloss).

Pregnancy discrimination
Award: Defense
A 7-months-pregnant job applicant alleged that she was asked inappropriate questions about her family planning goals during her interview, and, ultimately, not offered the job, despite being told that she was the number one candidate (Brady v. California State University Channel Islands, Ventura Co. Sup. Ct., Defense attorney: Eddie L. Washington).

Passenger injury
Award: $4,057,354
A 42-year-old aspiring architect was injured by a deploying airbag when a car driven by her employer went into an unmarked three-foot ditch in a wood supplier's parking lot (Confidential v. Confidential, Alameda Co. Sup. Ct., Plaintiff attorney: James G. Butler Jr.).

Investment advice
Award: $17,375,000
An elderly and ailing husband and wife alleged they were victims of a "Ponzi" scheme perpetrated by investment advisors (Hammermueller v. North American Co. for Life and Health Ins., River-side Co. Sup. Ct., Plaintiff attorney: Paul R. Fine).

Child struck by car
Award: $23,295,000
A 6-year-old child was seriously injured when struck by a car as she crossed the street after making a purchase from an ice cream truck (Moua v. Vardanyan, Fresno Co. Sup. Ct., Plaintiff attorney: Otto L. Haselhoff).

Nursing home death
Award: Defense
A 74-year-old resident of a skilled nursing facility died after falling from her bed (Simon v. Sierra Madre Skilled Nursing Facility, Los Angeles Co. Sup. Ct., Defense attorney: Alexander F. Giovanniello).

Disability discrimination
Award: $428,450
The SFPD refused to re-hire a police officer who had been cleared to return to work following a disability leave, in violation of FEHA (Tarver v. City of San Francisco, San Francisco Co. Sup. Ct., Plaintiff attorney: Lawrence D. Murray).

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.