Walsworth Secures Favorable Jury Verdict in Auto Injury Trial, Limiting Damages Well Below Plaintiff’s Demands

Walsworth Partner Patricia Teunisse and Paralegal Allison Johnson, with support from Associate Attorney Dominick Sawaya and Legal Assistant Sonia Gonzalez, secured favorable verdict following a jury trial in an auto injury case involving admitted liability. The case was tried before the Honorable Judge Gilbert Ochoa in San Bernardino County Superior Court (West District, Rancho Cucamonga). The trial focused on the nature and extent of the plaintiff’s claimed damages, with both parties represented by women-led trial teams.

The plaintiff alleged severe and ongoing injuries following the accident, including multiple fractures to her left forearm requiring surgery, and subsequent claims of carpal tunnel syndrome and a wrist ligament injury requiring additional procedures. Over the course of treatment, the plaintiff underwent five surgeries and claimed she was unable to return to work. Despite good faith efforts to resolve the case before trial, ultimately, the plaintiff’s $2.2 million demand made trial necessary. At trial, the plaintiff sought between $6.1 million and $6.5 million in damages, including substantial claims for future medical care, future loss of earning capacity, and pain and suffering.

The Walsworth team acknowledged the seriousness of the initial injury while demonstrating that the plaintiff’s damages claims were significantly overstated. Through expert testimony and cross-examination, Walsworth established that only the first three surgeries were related to the accident and challenged the necessity and causation of the later procedures, as well as the scope of the plaintiff’s claimed future losses. Although the company made a good-faith effort to resolve the case before trial, the plaintiff’s escalating demands ultimately made trial necessary.

The jury returned a verdict awarding limited economic damages, modest past pain and suffering, and no future pain and suffering. The verdict came in well below the defense’s offer to compromise under Code of Civil Procedure section 998, entitling Walsworth’s client to recover significant post-offer costs.

This result reflects a strategic and balanced trial approach based on a combination of credibility, acknowledgment of fault, and a focused challenge to inflated damages claims.