CVN screenshot of plaintiff attorney Khail Parris delivering his opening statement
Los Angeles, CA - A lawsuit filed by a man seeking more than $14 million after being rear-ended by a box truck making an illegal U-turn has settled in California state court shortly before a lengthy trial went into closing arguments, and the full proceedings were recorded gavel-to-gavel by Courtroom View Network.
Plaintiff Fadi Almazahreh and defendant Altman Specialty Plants LLC informed the court on April 13 they’d reached a confidential settlement in the trial that began in late March. Almazahreh claims he sustained life-altering injuries to his hip and knee in the 2019 early-morning collision that eventually developed into Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or CRPS.
Altman Specialty Plants, while admitting partial liability for truck driver Florentino Rico’s U-turn, argued during trial that Almazahreh also bore partial responsibility for the crash, and that the effects of his injuries were overstated.
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The trial itself before Judge Frederick Shaller was preceded by weeks of jury selection, prompting defense counsel Wendy Housman of Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney to remark during her opening statement it was the longest voir dire process of her career.
Plaintiff attorney Alexander Wheeler of Parris Injury Lawyers told the Los Angeles County jury in his opening statement how Rico attempted to make an illegal U-turn on Interstate 210 in his semi-truck shortly after 4am to retrieve an item left behind at a previous delivery site.
Rico couldn’t complete the turn and had to back up into oncoming traffic, and Wheeler described how Almazahreh’s car slammed into the back of Rico’s truck while he worked to complete the turn. He argued Rico had no excuse to make the attempt, as U-turns were clearly prohibited at the intersection.
Co-counsel Khail Parris walked jurors through Almazahreh’s injuries, focusing on a severe knee injury that he argued will eventually require a total joint replacement. Along with detailing the effects of an alleged traumatic brain injury and the psychological impact of the crash, Parris described the debilitating effects of CRPS, which can generate greatly magnified responses to pain stimuli.
Parris told the jury costs for Almazahreh’s future medical care alone would exceed $14 million. Had the case gone to a jury, the total amount of damages requested in closing arguments would have likely exceeded that amount by a significant sum.
Attorneys for Altman Specialty Plants told jurors the company accepts partial responsibility for the crash, but that some liability should still be assigned to Almazahreh.
CVN screenshot of defense attorney Wendy Housman delivering her opening statement
In his opening statement, attorney Jorge Martinez of Taylor Anderson LLP described the reflective decals on the back of the truck, that he argued should have made it visible with adequate time to stop. He argued the fact Rico was making an illegal U-turn didn’t absolve Almazahreh of his responsibility to be aware of his surroundings, and that other than the dark of the early morning there was nothing to limit his visibility.
He insisted Almazahreh had a full 300 feet to stop, and that he testified in a deposition that never applied his brakes or attempted to take any evasive action to avoid the truck.
Co-counsel Wendy Housman told jurors the defense agreed Almazahreh suffered a fractured tibia but would present expert testimony suggesting his knee injury isn’t as severe as claimed, that he didn’t suffer a TBI and that his injuries never progressed to CRPS.
Attorneys for the defendant declined to comment on the settlement, and attorneys for Almazahreh did not respond to requests for comment from CVN.
A link to the publicly filed notice of settlement is available here.
Email David Siegel at dsiegel@cvn.com
