Ice cream truck vendor said contributorily negligent for girl's catastrophic injury; $1 million policy is opened up.
Past medical costs: $195,000
Future medical costs: $6,700,000
Future lost earnings capability: $1,900,000
Past pain and suffering: $4,000,000
Future pain and suffering: $10,500,000
Law Office of Otto Haselhoff, PC by Otto L. Haselhoff, Santa Monica.
Wilkins Drolshagen & Czeshinski LLP by Michael Czeshinski, Fresno.
Alan M. Birnbaum, M.D.
Kevan Z. Craig, D.O.
Matthew Halsey, M.D.
Rick A. Sarkisian, Ph.D.
Tracy Albee, R.N.
Alex J. Balian, retail safety, West Hills.
George Y. Blair, accident investigation, Fresno.
Robert W. Johnson, M.B.A., economics, Los Altos.
On July 26, 2002, plaintiff Sandy Moua, age 6, purchased merchandise from Karen Vardanyan's ice cream truck in Clovis. After Sandy got her ice cream, she ran across the street to return to her home, but she was struck by a van driven by Erik Akers, a minor who had permission to drive the vehicle from his parents, Daniel and Mary Akers.
Upon impact, Sandy flew through the air and struck the ground. Claiming physical damages, Moua, through her guardian ad litem and father Leng Moua, sued the three Akers and Vardanyan for negligence. (Before trial, the Akers defendants settled out for $50,000, the limit of their insurance policy.)
That defendant Vardanyan was negligent in her sale of ice cream products from her truck. That Vardanyan negligently parked the ice cream truck in an unsafe location, negligently failed to display proper signage warning motorists of children, and negligently constructed and/or modified the ice cream truck.
Vardanyan disputed the allegations, contending that Sandy darted out across the street without looking and was therefore at fault for the accident. Defense also argued that Sandy's parents were comparatively liable for failing to watch her and failing to train her to look out before crossing the street. Vardanyan and Akers each blamed each other and filed counter claims against Sandy's parents for implied indemnity and comparative fault.
Sandy sustained a massive brain injury with partial paralysis. At first, she was bed-ridden. Then, she was confined to a wheelchair for mobility. By trial, she could walk for short periods of time with great difficulty, and she still relied on her wheelchair. Moua also had reduced motor skills which made communicating and studying very difficult for her.
Award Details: The parties stipulated to binding arbitration. Arbitrator James R. Gillen apportioned liability as follows: Sandy, 10%; Akers, 5%; and Vardanyan, 85%. Gillen then awarded $23,295,000, reduced to $21,120,000 after apportionment of liability. After the lawsuit was filed, Vardanyan filed for bankruptcy, which imposed an automatic stay of the action. Plaintiff's counsel then moved to lift the stay and allow the case to continue as long as Sandy limited her recovery to the proceeds of Vardanyan's insurance plus any funds recovered due to an assignment of Vardanyan's bad-faith rights against the carrier, which refused to tender its $1 million limit.
This is not an official court document. While the publisher believes the information to be accurate, the publisher does not guarantee it and the reader is advised not to rely upon it without consulting the official court documents or the attorneys of record in this matter who are listed above.
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