Motorcyclist paralyzed
Award: $19,999,000
Thirty-two-year-old motorcyclist was thrown from his bike and rendered paraplegic when struck by a vehicle exiting a parking lot (Phan v. Nguyen, Orange County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Christopher E. Angelo).

Metrolink collision
Award: $3,400,000
Passenger was ejected and injured when a Glendale Metrolink train car was struck by another train car derailed by an obstruction on the tracks (Confidential v. Metrolink, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Eric F. Yuhl).

Breast cancer
Award: $6,600,000
Breast cancer patient alleged misinterpretation of slides by pathologist resulted in misdiagnosis, improper treatment (Confidential v. Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, Orange County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Steven Heimberg).

Circumcision mishap
Award: $429,484
Tip of infant’s penis was severed by a Mohel performing a circumcision at a bris (O’Hara v. Berberich, Alameda County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: David B. Baum).

Parasitic infection
Award: $450,000
Restaurant server contracted a severe lung infection after ingesting a live, soft-shell crab at a sushi restaurant (Rodde v. International Marine of Los Angeles, Orange County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Darren O. Aitken).

Prisoner attacked
Award: $1,850,000
Double-celling of violent inmates allegedly led to vicious beating resulting in brain damage for a pre-trial detainee (Haws v. County of Monterey, Northern District Federal Court, Plaintiff attorney: Michael B. Moore).

Drug toxicity
Award: $1,425,000
Chronic-pain patient alleged doctor’s excessive prescription of pain medication caused his liver to fail, necessitating a liver transplant (Bryn v. Kaiser, Unfiled Arbitration, Plaintiff attorney: John F. Denove).

Passenger injured
Award: $1,210,173
Backseat passenger in a rear-end collision claimed she would suffer lifetime pain as a result of a cervical fracture (Hasbun v. Confidential, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Gregory R. Vanni).

Insurance bad faith
Award: $4,000,000
Allstate acted in bad faith by refusing to defend its insured in a misrepresentation lawsuit (Metropolitan Business Management Inc. v. Allstate Insurance Co., Central District Federal Court, Plaintiff attorney: David Laufer).

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.