San Francisco personal injury attorney-M. Alexander-says negligent driver permanently injures San Mateo woman.
San Francisco, CA–(JusticeNewsFlash.Com) Mary Alexander, a California personal injury attorney, specializing in automobile accident damages and injury claims, announces a San Mateo County Superior Court jury, in California, returned a $45 million verdict on March 16, 2009. Alexander represented 41 year-old driver, Tricia Roth, who was paralyzed from the neck down, after the car she was driving was struck by a Chevy pickup truck driver on September 11, 2006. The pickup truck driver, 72 year-old, Roman Pantoja, was driving the truck, while working for Division 1 All Service Inc., when he ran a red light at the intersection of E. Hillsdale Boulevard and Franklin Parkway, in San Mateo, and slammed into Roth’s motor vehicle. Roth was the driver, of a car at the red light, waiting for the traffic signal change at the time of the pickup truck wreck.
The Mateo County Superior Court jury ruled Pantoja was driving the pickup truck, as part of his worker duties for Division 1, at the time of the motor vehicle collision (MVC). Roth suffered catastrophic damages and injuries because of Pantoja’s negligent driving when he ran the red light. Top civil trial attorney, M. Alexander, successfully argued, before the judge and jury, on her client’s behalf. Alexander proved Ms. Roth suffered permanent damages, for life, leaving her incapable of caring for herself, wheelchair bound, unable to participate in marital activities with her loving spouse of six years, and the ability to work in any capacity. Court documents revealed $45 million in damages was provided as compensation to Roth and her husband for medical payments, wage loss, pain and suffering, and loss of consortium.
San Francisco victims’ rights advocate in the California courts, San Francisco personal injury lawyer Mary Alexander, with the law firm of Mary Alexander and Associates, told the court, “She will never be able to return to work…her life expectancy is reduced.” Alexander also argued the critically injured plaintiff, Ms. Roth, and her husband, Kay Huh, “…had been very active, swimming, horse back riding. A particular interest that she and her husband, Kay Huh, had was ballroom dancing. They were very good at it…it was very important to them, one of their activities that they enjoyed together.”
Alexander proved Roth, who was employed as a successful software consultant, was going to lose an annual income, with professional benefits, of $290,790, totaling $7,038,991 over the rest of her work-life. Past medical bills totaled $1,557,131, with her future medical care costs tallied at $10,758,944 in today’s dollars. Roth’s spouse, Huh, has not only tried to maintain his career in biotechnology since the car crash, but has become his, now quadriplegic, wife’s near full-time caregiver. He was awarded $5,000,000 for loss of consortium (companionship) and $30,000 in past lost earnings. The final compensation ruling of $15 million for pain and suffering for Roth, along with her medical and wage damages, totals $45 million.
The presiding San Mateo County Superior Court judge, in the civil legal action, of Tricia Roth vs. Division 1 All Service, Inc., was Honorable Beth Labson Freeman. Alexander also proclaimed, “This is a tragic life-altering case. The award is a proper victory for the victims’ rights.”
Alexander, who is a past President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, (now the American Association for Justice, AAJ) and past President of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) www.caoc.org, has spent over 25 years representing tort victims and their families. Her civil litigation law firm is located in San Francisco, California.
The order granting plaintiff’s motion is: http://openaccess1.sanmateocourt.org/openaccess/CIVIL/civildetails.asp?casenumber=468850&courtcode=A&casetype=CIV&dsn
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