Legal Summary
Attorneys Martin J. Kaufman and H. Jason Cohen Represented an Injured Passenger in a Rear End Collision, and After a Five-Week Jury Trial, They Obtained One of the Largest Verdicts of Its Kind
LOS ANGELES, CA–(Marketwire – May 24, 2012) – A five-week trial in the Los Angeles Superior Court ended yesterday with the award of a $651,000 jury verdict for Ciara Vollaro adv. Maureen Lispi, an insured of State Farm Insurance Company. (LASC Case No. NC052344, Judge Judith Vander Lans presiding).
The case arose out of injuries sustained by Ciara Vollaro in 2007, when the Honda Civic in which she was a passenger was rear ended by defendant. For five years, State Farm refused to resolve the matter and after a series of trial delays, ultimately forced a trial by offering the plaintiff $29,000. State Farm counsel contested liability for the accident and the plaintiff’s injuries.
Not only did the jury find that State Farm’s insured was liable, they also concluded that plaintiff’s subluxation to her rib entitled her to over $500,000 for pain and suffering. The jury award was one of the highest ever recorded for an injury of this nature in California.
The plaintiff was represented by Martin J. Kaufman, lead trial counsel of the law firm Lee & Kaufman, LLP, along with his co-counsel H. Jason Cohen.
Mr. Kaufman remarked, "This verdict is a tribute to the American justice system in that one woman can take on a ‘Goliath’ of the insurance industry, battle for years, and win."
Mr. Cohen added, "This verdict sends a message to every accident victim that they can stand their ground against companies like State Farm, despite facing tremendous emotional and financial risk."
Lee & Kaufman, LLP is nationally known for its representation of clients, both individual and large, in complex litigation, including personal injury, business, employment and intellectual property matters.
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