Man diagnosed with cancer after taking drug awarded $6.5M
A jury awarded a man and his wife $6.5 million after the man was diagnosed with bladder cancer from taking a Type-II diabetes drug, pioglitazone, under the trade name Actos, for approximately five years. Jack Cooper claimed that even though the Food and Drug Administration's studies found that using Actos for more than one year causes a 40-percent increase in the risk for bladder cancer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals failed to warn of this danger and concealed the drug's unreasonably dangerous medical risks. Takeda claimed that Actos' label always contained adequate information on it about the risk of cancer, and that Cooper's development of bladder cancer while on Actos was a coincidence.
Cooper v. Takeda Pharmaceuticals America Inc.San Francisco County
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Driver found not to blame for injuries to passenger in other car
A jury found that the driver of a minivan was not to blame for the neck and knee complaints made by a passenger in a BMW following a 2009 collision in a parking garage. Kelly Young, then 23, claimed her friend's BMW had the right of way since the other vehicle's cross-lane had a line on the ground, indicating that the vehicle's driver, Sioeli Taumalolo, should have stopped before entering the intersection. Taumalolo claimed he did what most drivers do - slowed to about 5 mph and looked both ways before entering the intersection - even though he did not have a stop sign. However, he claimed Young's BMW must have been speeding. Defense counsel noted a gap in Young's treatment and a four-month delay before there was a complaint of knee pain.
VIEW THE FULL CASE Young v. MaheSan Francisco County
Motor scooter rider with TBI after crash gets $3.1M crash
A motor scooter rider received a $3.1 million settlement for multiple injuries, including a brain injury, after a turning truck struck him. In 2009, Erik Brinckmann, then 35, was riding his motor scooter into an intersection when he was struck by Rafael Martinez, who was in the course of his work with Westland Floral Co. Inc. Brinckmann fractured a hip, tore a ligament in his right knee, and suffered head trauma, which he claimed caused a traumatic brain injury. He alleged that Martinez failed to yield the right of way and made an unsafe left turn. Martinez claimed he was completing his turn when Brinckmann sped into the intersection. Defense counsel contended that Brinckmann previously had brain injury symptoms similar to those claimed after the crash.
VIEW THE FULL CASE Brinckmann v. MartinezSanta Barbara County
Largest California Settlements:
(2013 only; based on cases reported to Verdict Search; excludes class actions and cases in which parties' names were not reported)
| SETTLEMENT | CASE | VENUE | DATE |
$5,000,000 |
Menard v. Alameda Bridgeside Shopping Ctr. LLC |
Alameda Co. |
Jan. 9 |
$5,000,000 |
Van Lam v. Markovic |
Santa Clara Co. |
April 11 |
$2,500,000 |
Hernandez v. County of Tulare |
Tulare Co. |
Feb. 21 |
$2,000,000 |
Messerall v. Integrity Retail Distribution Inc. |
Los Angeles Co. |
Jan. 9 |
$1,275,000 |
Robinson v. Liu |
Alameda Co. |
March 1 |
$1,250,000 |
Sanchez v. Edna H. Pagel Inc. |
Los Angeles Co. |
March 4 |
$1,250,000 |
Gotham v. Los Angeles Police Department |
Los Angeles Co. |
March 20 |
$900,000 |
Brand v. City and County of San Francisco |
San Francisco Co. |
March 20 |
$800,000 |
Zeynalzadegan v. Data |
Alameda Co. |
Jan. 14 |
$800,000 |
Jabin v. Garcia |
Los Angeles Co. |
Feb. 21 |
