Broadside fatality
Award: $19,550,000
Vehicle driven by a woman transporting her three young daughters was broadsided by a driver who ran a red light, killing the 5-year old and severely injuring the 3-year old (Confidential v. Confidential, Orange County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Darren O. Aitken).

Pedestrian death
Award: $2,250,000
Family of a pedestrian struck and killed by a city bus as he crossed the street in a crosswalk settled with the city (Zhou v. City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Joseph Nirenberg).

Sexual harassment
Award: Defense
Substance abuse counselor unsuccessfully argued that she suffered three years of sexual harassment by her manager (Rios v. CCA of Tennessee, Kern County Superior Court, Defense attorney: Janet S. Yavrouian).

Toxic tort
Award: $8,000,000
Seaman who served many years aboard Exxon Mobil vessels alleged his kidney cancer was a result of exposure to toxic substances, including petroleum, hydrocarbons, benzene and gasoline (Shelby v. Exxon Mobil Corporation, San Francisco County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Lyle C. Cavin Jr.).

Signal violation
Award: $15,072,210
A mother and her 14-year-old son sustained extensive injuries in a collision with a utility truck that ran a red light (Tilton v. Southern California Gas Co., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Brian J. Panish).

Negligent surgery
Award: Defense
Mother of boy whose condition did not improve after brain surgery alleged she did not give informed consent for the surgery and was not told of alternative options for treatment of her son (Grubb v. Levy, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Defense attorney: Daniel S. Belsky).

Rent ordinance
Award: $1,235,475
Four family members who had rented a property in San Francisco for 42 years were awarded damages from the building owner, who violated the San Francisco Rent Ordinance (Chacon v. Litke, San Francisco County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Jonathan McCurdy).

Motorcycle passenger killed
Award: $1,085,439
Family of a 20-year-old passenger on a motorcycle, killed in a collision with a vehicle that pulled out from a stop sign, sued both drivers (Sloan v. Stephens, Fresno County Superior Court, Plaintiff attorney: Richard C. Watters).

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.