Downtown Jury Finds 50/50 Liability in Rear-end Accident Involving Truck
On May 30, 2025, Scott Macdonald and Michael Moon secured a favorable verdict in Downtown Los Angeles. Our client was an appliance delivery company. Plaintiff claimed that they were rear-ended on the freeway without warning. Defendant driver claimed that plaintiffs swerved into his lane and stopped rapidly, thereby cutting off our client’s stopping distance. The plaintiffs had a witness that claimed that defendant was tailgating a vehicle, so the witness backed off on her speed and lost sight of the truck. The witness then came upon the accident and called 911. The EDR from plaintiffs’ vehicle was harvested. This allegedly showed a lack of braking and any turning movement by plaintiffs’ vehicle within five seconds of the accident. We established that defendant’s story had never changed, but plaintiffs had provided versions of the accident which were both inconsistent between stories and inconsistent with the EDR as well. We argued that defendant’s version of the facts was consistent with the EDR from his perspective.
Plaintiff driver claimed the need for extensive pain management and a three level cervical surgery which was a fusion at C5-6 and disc replacements above and below the fusion. Plaintiff sought past medical bills, future medical care and pain and suffering. Plaintiff driver sought between $2,400,000 and $5,400,000 from the jury.
Plaintiff passenger claimed that she sustained a traumatic brain injury and a thoracic outlet syndrome injury. She sought past medical bills, future medical care and pain and suffering. She sought between $790,000 and $1,900,000 from the jury.
The jury found both drivers were 50% at fault. The jury awarded past medical and future medical bills, and awarded the numbers we suggested for past and future pain and suffering. The total net verdict for plaintiffs was $659,000. The parties have agreed to resolve the case post-trial.