Jury Verdicts & Settlements

Latest jury verdicts, settlements, and legal outcome analysis

Two Brothers Killed in Boom Lift Tip-Over Win $18M Verdict

Two brothers working on a 5G cell tower antenna replacement project in Bethany Beach, Delaware, died on November 2, 2020, after the boom lift they were riding tipped over at 125 feet. The lift struck a power line as it fell, electrifying the structure before the basket hit the ground. Both men — employees of a telecom subcontractor — died from their injuries. A Delaware jury found their employer's project overseers, Nexius Solutions and Myndco, were negligent for allowing work to continue despite high winds, soft ground, and repeated warnings from workers on site. The jury awarded $18,228,509 across both estates, with each Defendant's mother and father receiving $2.5 million each in mental anguish damages.

Personal Injury

Tree Branch Kills Woman at Bus Stop, Jury Clears City in SF

A 55-year-old woman died after a massive tree branch fell on her while she waited at a Muni bus stop near Golden Gate Park during a powerful bomb cyclone storm in March 2023. Her two children sued the City and County of San Francisco, alleging the tree had long-standing structural defects the city ignored. After a jury trial in September 2025, the jury found the city was not liable and the plaintiffs recovered nothing.

Wrongful Death

JDA Insurance wins Florida broker malpractice Defense case.

The Estate of Maria Ghillino, acting as an assignee for Rapid Junk Haulers, LLC, filed a professional liability lawsuit against JDA Insurance Group, LLC. The dispute followed a tragic 2021 accident where a junk-hauling truck struck and killed a pedestrian. Upon seeking coverage, the business discovered their policy contained an absolute auto exclusion. The Plaintiff alleged that JDA Insurance failed its duty to procure adequate coverage for a vehicle-dependent business. However, a Miami-Dade jury determined that while a relationship of trust existed, the agency did not breach its fiduciary duty or act with negligence, resulting in a total defense verdict.

Wrongful Death

Jury Awards $329M in Fatal Florida Crash

On April 25, 2019, 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon was standing near a parked Chevrolet Tahoe in Key Largo, Florida, when she was struck and killed by a 2019 Tesla Model S traveling at approximately 70 miles per hour. The Tesla driver had engaged the vehicle’s "Autopilot" system and was distracted by his phone, relying on the technology to detect obstacles. The vehicle's sensors failed to recognize the stationary SUV, leading to a high-speed collision that also severely injured Dillon Angulo. The subsequent lawsuit alleged that Tesla’s Autopilot contained design defects, including a failure to adequately monitor driver engagement and detect stationary objects. In August 2025, a jury found Tesla 35% liable for the incident, determining that the vehicle was marketed with a defect that served as a legal cause of the damages.

Personal Injury

Monroy Verdict: Jury Awards $13.1M in Police Shooting

On August 7, 2020, Jeffrey Alexander Monroy was assisting his father with pool repairs in Rancho Mirage when he left the site to find a phone. Residents reported a "suspicious person" in black clothing, leading to an encounter with Corporal Ruben Perez. As Jeffrey and his brother fled, Corporal Perez fired five shots into Jeffrey's back without issuing verbal warnings. The family alleged Jeffrey was in the midst of a mental health crisis at the time of the shooting. Following a trial in the U.S. District Court, a jury found that the officer used excessive force and awarded $13.1 million in total damages, assigning 70% of the negligence to the officer.

Personal Injury

Garza v. Jones: $11M Jury Verdict in Fresno Wrongful Death

The legal battle began following a violent encounter on March 2, 2019, that claimed the life of Justin Garza. His parents, Joseph and Sarah Garza, initiated a civil lawsuit against Randy Kutchuwah Windwalker Jones in the Superior Court of California, County of Fresno. The litigation sought to hold Jones accountable for the fatal shooting of their son during a dispute over a debt in a Motel 6 parking lot. Despite defense arguments claiming comparative fault, a Fresno jury reached a unanimous decision on April 10, 2025, finding Jones liable. The Court awarded the Plaintiffs a total of $11 million in compensatory damages for the past and future loss of their son's love, companionship, and moral support.

Personal Injury

McGaff v. SDMTS: $8.5M Verdict for Transit Chokehold Death

In a tragic incident on a San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (SDMTS) bus, passenger Anthony McGaff lost his life after being placed in a lethal chokehold by another rider, Edward Hilbert. The altercation began when a third party started filming McGaff, leading to a confrontation where Hilbert intervened with force. Despite the visible struggle and the pleas of other passengers, the bus operator continued driving for approximately eight minutes without stopping the vehicle or summoning emergency services. A San Diego Superior Court jury found that SDMTS breached its "common carrier" duty to protect its passengers. The jury awarded $8.5 million in total damages, identifying the transit system and the intervening passenger as equally responsible for the preventable death.

Wrongful Death

Jury Finds Gross Negligence in Fatal Site Drowning

The tragic death of Varnel Johnson Jr. serves as a harrowing reminder of the stakes involved in heavy machinery operation and site management. In August 2021, Johnson was operating a Caterpillar 725 water truck on a path constricted by culvert pipes and unstable soil. The collapse of the canal shoulder led to his vehicle submerging, resulting in his death by drowning due to a lack of emergency escape features in the truck's cabin. In a landmark decision reached on January 14, 2026, a Miami-Dade jury bypassed standard worker's compensation immunity by finding that the project superintendent’s actions constituted gross negligence. The case highlighted "serious" OSHA violations, including the failure to maintain safe travel paths, and scrutinized Caterpillar's equipment design regarding submersion safety and center-of-gravity stability.

Wrongful Death

FL Defense Verdict: Surgeon Cleared in Bypass Death Suit

On November 17, 2025, a jury in the Circuit Court for Duval County, Florida, returned a defense verdict in favor of Dr. Jack John Messina. The Plaintiff, Louise Tyson, representing the estate of her late husband Paul W. Tyson, filed a medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit alleging that negligence during a 2018 heart surgery led to Mr. Tyson's death. The complaint argued that the medical team failed to properly monitor anti-coagulation levels and manage the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) system, causing a massive stroke due to blood clots. Specifically, the plaintiff claimed Dr. Messina, as the surgeon, failed to ensure the CPB system was safe before use. However, the jury found that there was no negligence on the part of Dr. Messina that was a legal cause of injury to the decedent.