PSBR attorney Robert Glassman obtained a $1,552,917.56 jury verdict in Vista, California for a young man who suffered a back injury after his vehicle was struck by a cement dump truck that ran a red light at an intersection in Carlsbad. The Plaintiff was also represented in the case by Jeffrey E. Estes of Jeffrey E. Estes & Associates.
On the evening of October 8, 2014, Plaintiffs Stephen Kluthe and his girlfriend Lauren were traveling in a 2015 Nissan Versto her mother’s home in Carlsbad, California. As their vehicle entered the intersection at El Camino Real and Cannon Road on a green light, the Versa was t-boned by a Ford F650 dump truck driven by defendant, Richard Holladay and owned by Charles Doherty Concrete.
As a result of the car accident, the 18-year-old plaintiff suffered a back injury but declined treatment at the scene. For the next four years, Mr. Kluthe conservatively treated his injury with a series of epidurals and chiropractic visits but did not undergo surgery.
Defendants disputed liability and said Mr. Kluthe entered the intersection too quickly on a green light and that Defendant Richard Holladay had entered the intersection on a yellow light that had turned red as he as completed his passage. Plaintiff argued that the defendant’s dump truck entered the intersection on a red light and was negligent in causing the accident. Additionally, Plaintiffs’ counsel argued to the jury that not only was Mr. Kluthe in chronic pain as a result of the accident but that his back injury would require future surgery.
The jury deliberated for approximately six hours before rendering a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs for $1.55 million and assigning 97 percent fault on the defendants.
The defendants pretrial offer was $140,000.