Sweet James Managing Partner, Bobby Taghavi, and Partner and Trial Attorney, Ashkahn Mohamadi with Sweet James clients. Sweet James photo

A Los Angeles personal injury law firm recently secured what it calls the largest jury verdict in Kings County history — $17.4 million on behalf of two accident victims.

The plaintiffs, Barbara Musick, 81, and Gayle Dutton, 89, were traveling westbound on Houston Avenue in Hanford when they were struck by a City of Hanford tree-trimming vehicle that ran a stop sign. The drivers, Damian Espinoza and Colton Banuelos, were traveling at 51 miles per hour and ran a stop sign, striking the plaintiff’s vehicle and causing significant orthopedic and head injuries, according to the release.

The lawsuit was filed on May 18, 2023, with the jury verdict returned on Aug. 29, 2024. Judge Valerie Chrissakis presided over the five-day trial, according to Kings County Superior Court records. Chrissakis entered her judgement on Oct. 1.

Sweet James attorneys Ashkahn Mohamadi and Bobby Taghavi said the defense declined to offer significant settlement money before the trial.

“This verdict is a testament to the strength and resilience of our clients,” said attorney Steve Mehr, founding partner at Sweet James. “Our firm is dedicated to fighting for justice, and this case underscores the importance of legal representation in ensuring accident victims receive the compensation they deserve. We are proud to have helped our clients secure this life-changing verdict.”

 

The jury award represents compensation or past and future medical care along with past and future damages for pain and suffering, according to the City of Hanford, which disputes the notion that it failed to offer significant settlement money before trial.

According to a statement released by the City of Hanford, the City worked with its insurer to determine settlement offers and the most recent offer before trial was $7.65 million. The ultimate jury award amount was considerably less than the amount originally requested by the plaintiffs, according to the City of Hanford.

Mohamadi said the $7.65 million settlement proposed before trial would not have covered all of the plaintiffs’ medical bills.

“Considering that the ladies’ past and future medical bills alone were more than $4 million, we did not feel this offer was a fair reflection of the case’s value, and the jury agreed.” said Mohamadi. “The statement that the jury’s verdict was less than we initially requested is misleading. The city could have settled this case for just under $12 million globally but they chose not to. We are grateful that the good people of Hanford granted our clients full justice.”

The City of Hanford stated that it met its self-insured deductible of $100,000 in this case, meaning the damages will be paid by the City’s insurance liability pool and will not affect the General Fund or any City services.