Latest jury verdicts, settlements, and legal outcome analysis
A Waco jury unanimously found ASUSTeK Computer Inc. willfully infringed four patents covering LED-backlit LCD display technology owned by SVV Technology Innovations Inc. The jury awarded $22,434,055 in damages, which the Court doubled as enhanced damages. The amended final judgment also included supplemental damages, prejudgment interest, ongoing royalties at $5.34 per unit, and costs.
A Multnomah County jury awarded $38,629,961 to seven Plaintiffs who suffered property destruction and emotional distress during Oregon's 2020 Labor Day wildfires. The Phase II damages trial found PacifiCorp liable for losses from the Echo Mountain Complex fire and the 242 fire, with individual noneconomic awards ranging from $1.69 million to $5.92 million.
A Hamilton County jury returned a $10 million verdict against Good Samaritan Hospital after finding the facility negligently admitted a 68-year-old woman with delirium to its psychiatric unit, where nursing staff dismissed her medical complaints for seven days until she died of septic shock from bowel perforation.
On July 14, 2022, Kris Rusin traveled eastbound on Interstate-84 in Hartford. As traffic slowed near exit 46, Christopher Noonan, driving directly behind her, failed to reduce speed and struck the rear of her vehicle. Rusin alleged significant physical injuries to her head, neck, and spine, and sought damages from Noonan and her insurer, Nationwide, for underinsured motorist benefits. While Noonan left the plaintiff to her proof regarding the severity of the accident , the case proceeded to a jury trial. On February 10, 2026, the jury found in favor of Rusin but awarded only $241.00 in total economic damages, providing $0.00 for noneconomic pain and suffering.
On October 21, 2020, Scott Souter was riding his bicycle along Maple Avenue in Hesperia, California, when an oncoming motor vehicle operated by Sandra Gonzalez-Rodriguez struck him. The collision occurred on public property managed by the City of Hesperia, causing Souter severe physical trauma, permanent impairments, and massive financial losses. Souter and his wife, Amy, filed an unlimited civil lawsuit alleging motor vehicle negligence and premises liability. While the defense argued comparative fault and statutory immunity, a San Bernardino County jury found the driver entirely negligent and cleared the cyclist of any blame. The Court ordered a final judgment awarding a combined $28,100,015.00 in total economic, non-economic, and loss of consortium damages.
A federal jury in the Southern District of New York found entirely in favor of the Defendants including CVS Health Corporation, Aetna-AHM, and several individuals—rejecting a Plaintiff's claims of workplace race discrimination, a hostile work environment, and battery. Following a full trial, the jury determined that the Plaintiff failed to establish liability under Title VII, Section 1981, or New York state and city human rights laws, resulting in a defense verdict with zero damages awarded
A traffic incident on August 22, 2020, in Chino, California, triggered a multi-year lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and an LAPD detective. The legal battle began after a city-owned 2005 Honda CR-V, driven by Detective Alex Anthony Pozo, allegedly failed to stop for a red traffic light. This failure to yield forced a third-party vehicle to lose control and strike pedestrian James Thomas Simpson as he stood on a nearby sidewalk. James Simpson and his wife, Maria Luz Simpson, filed suit seeking economic and non-economic damages for severe bodily injuries, psychological trauma, and loss of spousal consortium. After the defense raised multiple statutory immunities and comparative fault arguments, the parties avoided trial by entering into a conditional settlement in April 2024.
A federal jury in the Eastern District of Texas found a Canadian smart thermostat manufacturer infringed four wireless building automation patents and awarded $11.5 million in lump sum damages. The Defendant challenged the verdict on appeal, and the Federal Circuit vacated the infringement and damages judgments, ordering a new trial after finding the verdict form improperly combined all patents into a single infringement question.
A Los Angeles County jury returned a $2,273,270 verdict in favor of a tenant who was exposed to toxic mold at his Sherman Oaks apartment after property owners and managers failed to properly remediate the contamination despite repeated complaints. The jury found both defendants liable for breach of implied warranty of habitability, negligence, and constructive eviction, assigning zero fault to the tenant.
