Ramos vs. Doud
This admitted liability case arose out of a rear-end accident. plaintiff, a 42-year-old lineman for Southern California Edison, claimed that as a result of his being rear-ended by defendant, he sustained herniated lumbar disk at two levels, necessitating surgery, including a spinal fusion. This diagnosis was agreed to by all of plaintiff's doctors and one of defendant's retained physicians. Plaintiff was earning in excess of $100,000 per year, and claimed to be completely disabled from his occupation as a lineman, resulting in a loss of earnings claim of approximately $1.5 million, in addition to medical expenses of $150,000. The defense successfully demonstrated that the nature of the accident was unlikely to have caused the disk problems and that, even if surgery was warranted, plaintiff could return to his occupation as a lineman. After a two-week trial, the Ventura County jury returned a verdict of $145,000.