Every year in California, millions of people are injured in preventable accidents. 2022 was no different. Personal injury cases always feature an individual or an entity that didn’t take action to keep someone else safe. A driver on the freeway is texting instead of looking at the lanes to avoid causing an accident. An employer focuses on profits instead of protecting employees from an unsafe or an emotionally hostile workplace.
When victims of these and other acts of negligence need help with the costs of recovery, they file personal injury claims against at-fault parties and their insurance providers. There were thousands of these types of cases filed in 2022 by California residents in need of real support. Many of them secured substantial awards to help rebuild their lives.
Some of the Biggest California Personal Injury Awards of the Past Year
Maison Law of California examined data from VerdictSearch.com to determine the biggest personal injury verdicts of 2022 in the state. This is a list of just some of the largest settlements and court awards for California personal injury victims.
1. $464,577,265 Verdict Against Southern California Edison (SCE) in Los Angeles Superior Court –
A jury decided SCE, an electrical supply company, must pay two employees, Alfredo Martinez and Justin Page, 464 million in damages. The award was granted for alleged racial and sexual harassment in the workplace. The plaintiffs also brought claims of whistleblower retaliation. Punitive damages made up the biggest part of the payout.
2. $102,500,000 Verdict Against Santa Clara County School System in Santa Clara County Superior Court –
Two women sued the school system after being sexually abused repeatedly by a San Jose middle school music teacher between 2009 and 2014. The claim sought damages for emotional distress after the school refused to fully investigate the allegations at the time and take action. The lawsuit pointed to negligent retention, negligent supervision, and negligent investigation on the part of the school system.
3. $60,445,361 Verdict Against Diamond Resorts Hotel Capistrano Beach in Orange County Superior Court –
The husband of the victim sued the hotel ownership over negligent training and negligence investigation on the part of the hotel staff after his wife was injured. That’s after a 59-year-old woman checked into the hotel on March 29, 2014. When her husband could not reach her, he called the front desk to ask staff members to check on her. It was determined that the victim had suffered a brain aneurysm at around 6:30 p.m. but wasn’t found until 11 hours later.
4. $50,004,912 Verdict Against Phenix Transportation, Inc. and its Truck Driver in Los Angeles County Santa Monica Superior Court —
A jury awarded a truck accident plaintiff almost $51 million for a devastating 2017 crash in Southgate CA. The 17-year-old man was a passenger in a car when a freight truck driver broadsided the vehicle in an intersection. The victim will rely on medical equipment and will require full-time nursing care for the rest of his life.
5. $42,299,850 Verdict Against Algoma Hardwoods Inc in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Long Beach CA –
A 64-year-old woman earned a major award in 2022 after contracting lung cancer due to contact with asbestos. It was shown that the woman developed the illness after exposure through her husband in the late 1970s. Her husband installed Algoma doors which were known to contain asbestos at the time. Evidence demonstrated that she became sick due to the asbestos dust on her husband’s clothing.
6. $34,508,000 – Verdict Against Santa Cruz Public Schools in Santa Cruz County Superior Court –
In 2016, a 37-year-old school custodian suffered a back injury but was later able to return to work. In 2018, the school system fired him. The plaintiff’s legal team said the victim was wrongfully terminated and suffered disability discrimination. They pointed to the school’s failure to provide reasonable accommodations for his perceived limitations. The firing caused the victim mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, anxiety, humiliation, and emotional distress. The school system had to pay compensatory and punitive damages.
7. $26,000,000 – Verdict Against Pasadena Unified School District in Los Angeles County Long Beach Superior Court.
An 11-year-old 5th Grade special needs student was sexually assaulted by three male classmates at Focus Point Academy, in Pasadena in 2016. The victim sued the school district for negligent supervision. The victim was awarded compensation for emotional distress. The victim received $13,500,000 for Future Pain and Suffering and $ 12,500,000 for Past Pain and Suffering.
8. $23,965,999 – Verdict against Driver, Union Pacific Railroad Company, Inc and Central California Traction Company, Inc in San Joaquin County Superior Court —
A 30-year-old motorcyclist suffered multiple serious injuries after striking an SUV in Stockton in 2016. The driver was shown to have failed to yield the right of way to the rider while making a left turn. The motorcyclist suffered head and brain injuries and suffered strokes, speech and vision impairment, and quadriplegia among other injuries. The plaintiff maintained he will require 24/7 attendant care for the rest of his life. The at-fault driver and the driver’s employers were deemed liable.
9. $16,420,725 Verdict Against State of California DOT in San Diego County Superior Court —
In 2020, a motorcyclist was badly injured when a tree fell on her while traveling on State Route 79, near Warner Springs, in San Diego County. The victim, a 75-year-old woman, suffered spine injuries, a femur fracture, a cervical fracture, and other injuries. She was left as a paraplegic who will require medical care for the rest of her life. Her lawyers argued in court that Caltrans did not properly maintain the diseased tree.
10. $11,955,702 Verdict Against Drivers, Cold Spring Granite Co, Westech Systems Inc, and the State of California in Fresno County Superior Court —
In 2017, a worker for Cold Spring Granite Company was injured while traveling in a box truck driven by his boss. They were on State Route 41 in Fresno when they came upon a scene where a state-owned truck had lost its load. A third truck had stopped behind the state-owned truck to attempt to keep people from striking the parked truck. The driver of the box truck hit the back of the stopped pickup and the topper on the truck went through the passenger side windshield of the box truck. The unbelted worker, a 29-year-old man, was hit in the head and suffered severe brain injuries. He also fractured multiple bones. The victim is now unable to work and requires assistance to care for himself 12 to 24 hours a day. The defense argued that had the worker been wearing a seatbelt, the injuries could have been prevented, but the jury sided with the plaintiff.
