Robert Glassman · Jonathan Davidi
$11,045,000 Verdict for Motorcycle Collision Caught on Camera in Conservative Venue
September 6, 2024 5:30 PM||TLU n Demand
Plaintiff left work on his motorcycle on the morning of April 12, 2019, to go home. As he was proceeding straight on a street in downtown Los Angeles, a DWP work van pulled out in front of him to make a left turn. The plaintiff could not stop in time and crashed into the side of the van. The LAPD investigated the collision and determined the DWP driver caused the crash by failing to yield the right of way to the plaintiff. The crash and events leading up to it were caught on camera. The plaintiff suffered fractures to his wrist, ribs and pelvis and spent 12 days in the hospital. He later developed back pain and had a fusion surgery. After experts on both sides of the case analyzed the video, both experts determined that plaintiff was speeding at 60 mph in a 35 mph zone in the seconds leading up to impact. DWP denied liability and blamed the entire crash on the plaintiff. They also disputed the nature and extent of plaintiff’s damages. The trial lasted nearly one month, and the jury deliberated for a day delivering a verdict for the plaintiff in the amount of $11,045,000 and finding the plaintiff was negligent but putting 100% of fault on DWP.
The case dealt with the following issues:
- Representing a speeding motorcyclist in a conservative venue
- 20+ cause challenges were granted by the judge
- Plaintiff was going 25 mph over the posted speed limit
- Defendant recanted his liability admission on the stand on a 776 examination
- The investigating police officer was qualified to give expert opinions on fault
- The crash was caught on camera and shown to the jury over a dozen times during trial
- The plaintiff’s girlfriend was badly impeached about her relationship with plaintiff before the accident
- We requested a mistrial, and had a hearing on it, after the impeachment of plaintiff’s girlfriend
- Defense had a human factors expert, but plaintiff did not
- Plaintiff had a biomechanical engineer, but defendant did not
- $9.5 million in general damages for a plaintiff who was speeding and attacked by the defense for being a liar and bad person
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