Attorneys Brian Panish and Matthew Stumpf of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP and R. Rex Parris, Bruce Schechter, Khail A. Parris, and Eric N. Wilson of PARRIS Law Firm have obtained a landmark $52,708,374 verdict in a Los Angeles County court for two Southern California brothers who were severely injured following a near head-on collision with CRST big rig.
On July 7, 2014, Plaintiffs were traveling northbound on State Route 14 en route to their annual fishing trip at Mammoth Lake, California. As their vehicle approached a construction zone absent of K-rails, a CRST big rig driven by defendant Hector Contreras, crossed over the yellow line in the southbound lanes and into opposing traffic, striking the brothers’ vehicle head-on.
Although Contreras admitted responsibility for the truck accident, jurors were called upon to decide what amount of compensatory damages the Plaintiffs deserved and whether punitive damages were warranted. The judge ruled the punitive damages should not go to the jury.
Throughout the 16 day trial, the defense adamantly argued that the brothers’ injuries were less serious than described but failed to provide evidence to support their position. The jury disagreed and found in favor of the Plaintiffs.
“The lives of these two men were forever changed as a result of this horrific accident and the negligent employment practices of CRST,” said Los Angeles truck accident attorney Brian Panish. “The jury’s verdict will enable the brothers to get the medical treatment they’ll need to live their best lives possible while serving as a wake-up call to any company that neglects the safety of the public at large,” added R. Rex Parris.
The defendants were represented at trial by Fred M. Blum, Michael E. Gallagher and Lisa Stevenson of Bassi Edlin Huie & Blum LLP.
The verdict was recognized by Law360 as among the Biggest Trucking Injury Awards of 2018.
Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP has obtained numerous multi-million dollar jury verdicts in catastrophic injury cases involving trucks, including a $36.5 million verdict for a woman who suffered a non-paralyzing spinal cord injury from a tractor-trailer collision, as well as a $34.5 million verdict for a young man who suffered a below the knee amputation after being struck on his bicycle by a tractor trailer.
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Read the Courtroom View Network story here.