Hospital claims unfair competition by doctors
Award: $13,450,000

A Palm Springs hospital claimed that two staff doctors breached their fiduciary duties, misappropriated hospital trade secrets and engaged in unfair competition by establishing a competing medical facility. The doctors contended that they used public information and business plans developed by consultants (Desert Hospital Corporation v. Smith, Riverside County Superior Court).

Storage company sells customer's property
Award: $255,876

All of a woman's valuable possessions, stored while she was abroad, were sold off without any notice to her or her family. The storage facility contended that it mailed the proper statutory lien notices (Veerkamp v. Peterson, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court).

Safeway employee alleges sexual harassment
Award: $310,000

A deli manager at Safeway claimed that she was forced and manipulated into an unwelcome sexual relationship with the store manager. Safeway and the manager contended that the sexual relationship was consensual and that plaintiff had never complained of harassment (Peceimer v. Safeway, San Francisco County Superior Court).

Insurer's bad faith on fire loss claim
Award: $17,062,000

Homeowners claimed that Federal Insurance Co. knew their fire loss exceeded basic policy limits but failed to properly investigate and purposely forced the issue to appraisal. The insurer contended that plaintiffs breached the contract by not committing to rebuild their home appropriately and incorrectly claiming additional coverage (Schmid v. Federal Insurance Co., Orange County Superior Court).

Driver's diabetic coma causes high-speed crash
Award: $2,800,000

The families of the persons killed and injured in the crash claimed medical malpractice by the physicians who had treated decedent driver but failed to notify authorities to restrict his driving privileges (Nickless v. Estate of John Renzi, Orange County Superior Court).

Poison oak causes loss of fingers
Award: $455,643

A police officer who contracted a severe case of poison oak while searching for a murder weapon claimed his doctors' negligent treatment of the condition led to the loss of his thumb and two fingers (Lewis v. Canyon Heights Family Practice Medical Group, Orange County Superior Court).

Bicycle wheel collapses on canyon descent
Award: Defense

A bicyclist sued the Europa Bicycle Center after the front wheel of his bike collapsed unexpectedly, resulting in a "face plant" that caused severe facial injuries (Millbauer v. Europa Bicycle Center, Los Angeles County Superior Court).

Tenants assaulted in their apartment
Award: Defense

Tenants in an apartment building claimed their landlords' failure to "do something" about drug dealing was a proximate cause of an assault by armed individuals looking for drugs. The landlords contended no notice or knowledge of suspicious activities (Magana v. Velgara, Los Angeles County Superior Court).