Case Background
Jerry Woldum, a security guard employed by Allied Nationwide Security, worked at the premises of East Los Angeles Dialysis Center (ELADC) at 5830 Whittier Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90022. The building was also occupied by Academic Medical Research Institute (AMRI), a medical research company. UWW, LLC, a real estate holding company, owned the property. Three individuals Marco Martinez, M.D., Carlos Meza, M.D., and Mohamed El-Shahawy, M.D. were owners of both ELADC and UWW. El-Shahawy was also the owner and sole officer of AMRI.
The premises featured a large metal sliding gate at the entrance. The gate measured approximately sixteen feet wide by six feet tall, constructed of square tubing and weighing anywhere from 700 to 1,200 pounds. The gate operated on wheels and could only be opened or closed by a person manually pulling it. Shortly after Woldum began his assignment at the location, he noticed the gate was malfunctioning — its wheel repeatedly came off the track, creating a serious risk that the gate could fall and injure or kill whoever was operating it.
Cause
Between 12:40 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. on June 12, 2023, the gate became dislodged from its track again, blocking the entrance to ELADC. Woldum slipped through a gap in the displaced gate and attempted to lever it back onto the track using a tire iron. When he continued trying to reposition the gate, it fell and crushed his ankles and legs. He was alone and trapped underneath the heavy metal structure. His attempts to free himself caused further injury to his legs.
Injury
Woldum suffered a broken ankle, contusions, bruising, and bleeding on his right leg and left foot. He underwent four surgeries to treat his injuries and resulting infections.
Damages Sought
Woldum sought compensatory damages for his physical injuries, lost earnings, and emotional suffering. He also sought punitive and exemplary damages under California Civil Code Section 3294, alleging the Defendants acted with malice, oppression, and conscious disregard for his safety despite repeated notice of the dangerous gate.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
The complaint, originally filed on October 13, 2023, was amended. The First Amended Complaint, filed December 7, 2023, named East Los Angeles Dialysis Center, Academic Medical Research Institute LLC, Academic Medical Research Institute Inc., UWW LLC, Maher Azer, M.D., Marco Martinez, M.D., Carlos Meza, M.D., and Mohamed El-Shahawy, M.D. as Defendants, along with Does 1 through 100. It raised three causes of action: negligence, premises liability, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Trial began on January 26, 2026, in Department F43 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, before the Honorable Michael J. O'Gara. The jury returned its verdict on February 9, 2026.
Legal Representation
Plaintiff: Jerry Woldum
· Counsel for Plaintiff: Michael Louis Kelly | Heather Baker Dobbs | Connor M. Karen | Fred Daniels Crawford
Defendants: East Los Angeles Dialysis Center, UWW, LLC, and Mohamed El-Shahawy, M.D.
· Counsel for Defendants: Adrienne D. Cohen
Key Arguments by Counsel
Claims
Woldum argued that ELADC, UWW, and El-Shahawy retained and exercised control over his contracted work, specifically the opening of the parking lot gate. He maintained that he reported the malfunctioning gate to ELADC receptionists three to four times beginning in mid-May 2023. On the final occasion before the incident, he brought the issue directly to a nurse supervisor inside ELADC. He also submitted photographs of the defect to his own supervisor at Allied Nationwide Security, including on the day of the incident. Despite this repeated actual notice, Defendants did not repair the gate or take any steps to protect workers from the known danger.
Woldum contended that the Defendants' failure to act constituted negligence and premises liability, and that their conscious disregard of a known, life-threatening hazard amounted to malice and oppression under California law.
Defense
UWW, LLC, represented by the Law Offices of Adrienne D. Cohen, answered the Second Amended Complaint with a general denial of all allegations and raised eighteen affirmative defenses. These included failure to state a cause of action, statute of limitations, laches, unclean hands, waiver, indispensable parties, contributory negligence of the Plaintiff, contributory negligence of third parties, justifiable reliance, failure to mitigate damages, intervening causes, Proposition 51 (the Fair Responsibility Act of 1986), no respondeat superior liability, insufficient evidence of actual knowledge, assumption of risk, good faith, estoppel, and reservation of additional defenses.
The defense argued that Woldum's own negligence was the sole cause of his injuries. It further argued that any liability on UWW's part should be reduced proportionally based on Woldum's comparative negligence and that non-economic damages should be apportioned per California Civil Code Sections 1431 through 1431.5.
Jury Verdict
The jury answered eight questions on the special verdict form.
On the first question, the jury found that all three Defendants East Los Angeles Dialysis Center, UWW, LLC, and Mohamed El-Shahawy, M.D. retained some control over the manner of Woldum's contracted work, including the opening of the parking lot gate.
On the second question, the jury found that all three Defendants actually and negligently exercised that retained control over Woldum's contracted work.
On the third question, the jury found that Woldum was harmed as a result.
On the fourth question, the jury found that the negligent exercise of retained control by all three Defendants affirmatively contributed to Woldum's harm.
The jury then awarded damages as follows:
Past economic loss Past medical expenses: $217,000 Past loss of earnings: $54,350
Future economic loss Future medical expenses: $120,000 Future loss of earnings: $226,000
Past noneconomic loss Physical pain and mental suffering: $500,000
Future noneconomic loss Physical pain and mental suffering: $500,000
Total damages awarded: $1,617,350
On the sixth question, the jury found that Woldum was also negligent. On the seventh question, the jury found that his negligence was a substantial factor in causing his own harm. On the eighth question, the jury assigned 35 percent of the responsibility for Woldum's harm to Woldum himself.
Applying the 35 percent comparative fault reduction to the total damages of $1,617,350, Judge Michael J. O'Gara entered judgment in favor of Woldum and against East Los Angeles Dialysis Center, UWW, LLC, and Mohamed El-Shahawy, M.D., in the amount of $1,051,277.50.
The judgment, dated February 25, 2026, also entitled Woldum to his costs pursuant to a timely filed memorandum of costs under California Code of Civil Procedure Sections 1032 and 1033.5.
Court documents are available upon request at [email protected]
