Wald v. Petrossian, Contra Costa County CIVMSC12-01549.
Plaintiff was stopped in traffic in his 1922 Model-T Ford, that he had restored himself (classic car collector hobbyist and re-finisher). He... was struck by defendant's cargo van, sustaining mid-back injuries.
Wald had offered to accept Petrossian's $250,000 insurance policy limits, and offered to accept $200,000 shortly before trial. Defendant's insurance company, State Farm, offered only $25,000.01. State Farm paid the verdict.
Personal injury
Truck Freeway Collision - Catastrophic Injury
Sep 01, 2005
OUTCOME: Trial Verdict - $4.5 Million.
Morning commute, westbound Interstate 580, in the town of Dublin, near the I-580/I-680 interchange. Traffic in the I-680 exit lanes was stop and go, traffic in the I-580 lanes was moderate, yet moving... at freeway speeds. A pickup truck in the #4 exit lane for I-680 caused a fender-bender collision, pushing one vehicle partway into the #3 lane, a Westbound I-580 through lane, where it was struck by an 18-wheel big-rig truck.
The big rig went out of control, involving several other autos in the collision, including the plaintiffs’ Toyota RAV4, which would not have otherwise been involved.
The pickup truck driver admitted liability.
Plaintiffs alleged that the big-rig driver was operating his truck in an unsafe manner for traffic conditions, in his chosen lane of travel, and his speed relative to traffic around him. The freeway was posted to permit trucks to use all lanes of travel for a distance of two miles, encompassing the accident zone and the entire I-580/I-680 interchange.
The trucking company denied any liability.
The jury found the trucking company and its driver negligent, and apportioned liability for plaintiff''s injuries 50% to both the pickup truck and the big rig.
Before trial, plaintiff offered to settle with the trucking company for $1.2 Million. The trucking company offered nothing.
