Family's Peugeot broad-sided by stolen Mercedes
Award: $38,079,169

Family is injured in high-speed collision with a Mercedes Benz stolen from Dana Point Automotive -- young son rendered quadriplegic (McGee v. City of Laguna Beach, Orange County Superior Court).

Largest police misconduct verdict in N. California
Award: $3,966,603

Decedent's wife and stepdaughter receive over $5 million gross verdict for misconduct by Fremont Police Department in shooting death of husband/stepfather in backyard after domestic argument (Adams v. City of Fremont, Alameda County Superior Court).

Patent infringement damages awarded
Award: $27,948,000

Washington corporation infringes U.S. Patent No. 4,160,750 covering ultrasound imaging system held by California corporation (SRI International Inc. v. Advanced Technology Laboratories, Northern District Federal Court).

Frivolous lawsuits tie up real property
Award: $33,611,200

Purchasers of land are unable to develop or sell property due to four successive and frivolous lawsuits by sellers and their attorneys (Hennefer v. Butcher, Los Angeles County Superior Court).

Project manager victim of race discrimination
Award: $7,579,100

The only African–American project manager in asbestos abatement division suffers emotional distress when fired after complaining about racial discrimination (Hudson v. Waste Management Inc., Alameda County Superior Court).

Yellow Page salesmen constructively discharged
Award: $2,112,736

Older workers claim they retired only because Pacific Bell Direc-tory represented that their pension benefits would decrease if their earnings declined (Brown v. Pacific Bell Directory, Orange County Superior Court).

Patient almost dies during leg surgery
Award: $1,600,000

Cellular telephone salesman almost dies during 6-hour surgery on fractured leg because orthopedic surgeon is unfamiliar with hardware installed (Ciampaglia v. Eden Hospital, Alameda County Superior Court).

Whistle-blower action under False Claims Act
Award: Defense

Northrop Corporation receives defense verdict in only case tried by Department of Justice under False Claims Act in last 10 years (United States v. Northrop Corporation, Central District Federal Court).

Patient claims misdiagnosis of "flesh–eating bacteria"
Award: Defense

Handyman claims substantial impairment of hand and forearm due to failure by emergency medicine physicians to diagnose necrotizing fasciitis (Radice v. Tri-City Hospital District, San Diego County Superior Court).

Insurance agents fail to tender claim to insurer
Award: $1,866,436

Insured gives oral notice of underlying action to agent and brokers when action is filed but receives no defense from insurer (Nunn v. Dunn, San Bernardino County Superior Court).


EDITOR'S NOTE: California Bar Journal publishes this abbreviated summary of important trials in California provided by Trials Digest Publishing Inc. For a free complete trial report on any case listed, call 510/420-1800.

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