Verdicts and Settlements
Taylor & Ring is at the forefront of many of the cases that make local and national headlines. From sexual abuse lawsuits against school districts to mass transit accidents to wrongful termination claims against large corporations, our firm has the experience and resources to take high-stakes cases to trial. Although the defendants in many of our cases have negotiated seven and eight figure settlement amounts, below is a list of some of our successes in a range of matters the firm handles:
Sexual Assault and Rape
$45.4M Jury Award
- “F.M.”, a minor, was repeatedly assaulted by as many as 15 different men between 2010 and 2012. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) of Los Angeles County was aware of the evidence that F.M. was living with a convicted child molester, yet did nothing. This was the #8 award in the State of California for the year.
$8M Settlement
- A 15-year-old girl was sexually abused and kidnapped by her teacher at San Gabriel Mission High School. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay $8 million in a settlement award. This is the largest individual settlement agreement for a sexual abuse case in the Archdiocese’s history.
$8M Settlement
- Jane, a teenager, was sexually assaulted by an adult relative one time.
$7.5M Settlement
- $7.5 million settlement for a female #metoo sexual assault victim against her employer.
$6.15M Settlement
- Largest sexual assault recovery against police agency in CA; a female was raped by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop in 2010.
$5.4M Verdict
- Female raped at a West Hollywood nightclub by one of the club’s employees; Club held liable for negligent supervision and negligent security practices. Janice H. v. Here Lounge
$5M Settlement
- Female client was raped by her Lead Driver while working as a student driver for a national trucking company.
$4M Settlement
- Female was raped at gunpoint in a Los Angeles shopping mall; Mall owner and security company held liable in premises liability and negligent security claims.
$3M Settlement
- Sexual abuse case brought on behalf of an individual who was sexually abused while she was a minor by her mentor at an aquarium operated by the City of Los Angeles. Adrienne McColl v. Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, et al.
$2.5M Settlement
- Settlement on behalf of 3 teenage boys who were sexually harassed by their male supervisor.
$2M Settlement
- Female raped by bus driver after she fell asleep on the bus; Bus company liable for negligent hiring and supervision of the bus driver
Sexual Abuse at School
$102M Verdict
- Two students were sexually abused and groomed by their band teacher Samuel Neipp, a former music teacher at Dartmouth Middle School.
$100M Settlement
- The firm represented multiple plaintiffs in the Santa Monica PAL/Eric Uller abuse case. The City of Santa Monica covered up the abuse.
$25.3M Verdict
- A 13-year-old boy was abused almost daily by a supervisor at the Westerly School in Long Beach, California. Despite suspicions of abuse by one former employee, and incidents involving other teachers, none of this behavior is ever reported to the police. Stephen W. v. Westerly School of Long Beach
$14M Settlement
- Two adult women sexually abused by their middle school teacher recovered the largest “per victim” settlement in the nation: $7 million each.
$10.8M Verdict
- Boy sexually abused by teacher off school premises. School district previously received anonymous letter warning that teacher was acting improperly with boys.
$10M Settlement
- Sexual abuse case brought on behalf of a minor with special needs who was sexually abused by her bus driver. Jane Doe v. Lucia Mar Unified School District, et al.
Confidential 8-figure Settlement
- Two girls molested by a school teacher resulted in an eight-figure settlement.
$8.05M Verdict
- Fourteen-year-old female student was manipulated into a sexual relationship with her eighth-grade teacher. The school district was liable for its negligent supervision of the student and the teacher. M. vs. Pomona Unified School District
$6.75M Settlement
- Six boys sexually abused by fourth grade teacher; school principal wrote an untrue “glowing” letter of recommendation for teacher in exchange for his promise to quietly resign from his job.
$5.6M Verdict
- Teenage girl manipulated into sexual relationship with 40-year old male high school teacher; school district knew of inappropriate email messages from teacher to girl but allowed teacher to remain employed until end of school year and then wrote him a false letter of recommendation.
$5M Settlement
- In M. et al vs. Los Angeles Unified School District, et al, on behalf of a 13-year-old student who was sexually abused by her 30-year-old math teacher, Elkis Hermida. It is the largest payout by the LAUSD to a victim so far.
$5M Settlement
- Teenage girl abused by teacher who was given glowing, but false recommendations from his prior school who knew he posed a danger to female students and “passed the trash” to get rid of him. Jane Doe v. Big Oak Unified School District, et al.
$4.5M Verdict
- Two girls sexually touched and fondled by third grade teacher; negligent supervision by school.
$3.9M Settlement
- Girl abused by middle school teacher; she brought suit at age 26.
$3.5M Settlement
- Several children who attended Miramonte Elementary School (LAUSD) were fed tainted cookies by teacher Mark Berndt, who then took photographs of each child with the cookie in his/her mouth.
$3M Settlement
- Special needs male high school student sexually assaulted by fellow student in the school bathroom; negligent supervision by school.
$3M Settlement
- 13-year-old girl manipulated by her middle school male teacher to have oral sex; school had received prior complaints about teacher texting female students.
$2M Settlement
- Settlement for a young girl who was verbally harassed, but never physically touched by her high school coach. Jane Doe v. School District.
Wrongful Death
$20.2M Settlement
- Wrongful death case involving the drowning of a 7-year-old child.
$15M Settlement
- Wrongful death case against a prominent ride-sharing company.
$10M Verdict
- A wrongful death case against the LAPD, 30 years in the making. In a published decision, the California Court of Appeal upheld the verdict against Los Angeles Police Detective Stephanie Lazarus for the murder of Sherri Rasmussen more than 30 years ago. Nels Rasmussen et al. v. Stephanie Lazarus
$8.8M Settlement
- Wrongful death case against the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, where a sheriff’s deputy struck and killed two pedestrians in an unmarked crosswalk.
$6.5M Settlement
- Wrongful death case involving a fatal civilian car chase.
$3.5M Settlement
- 38-year-old man killed in truck vs. motorcycle collision caused by truck driver’s negligence and dangerous condition of public highway.
$2.4M Settlement
- Parents brought suit after their adult disabled son was struck and killed by an out-of-control car as he waited at a bus stop.
Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Accidents
$18.6M Verdict
- Company president allowed wife to drive a company-owned vehicle four days after a wife failed DMV road exam; wife then caused a serious accident injuring a motorcyclist. Mallabo v. Wan Hai Lines (America)
$14.4M Verdict
- Improperly serviced asphalt truck caused chain collision on freeway; two died and a surviving passenger suffered brain damage. Pascua/White vs. Industrial Asphalt
$12.9M Verdict
- A truck driver was seriously injured when the defective pallet jack toppled over on him at a delivery location. Munoz vs. Sierra Autocars, Inc.
$10M Settlement
- Disputed liability motorcycle crash resulting in a below-the-knee amputation of the plaintiff.
$5.6M Settlement
- Delivery truck driver injured while making delivery to auto dealership.
$5M Settlement
- Passenger on a motorcycle left paralyzed after auto vs. motorcycle accident in a construction zone.
$4.3M Settlement
- Pedestrian struck by vehicle driven by school teacher while in “course & scope” of her employment causing the pedestrian traumatic brain injury.
$4M Verdict
- Vehicular accident with city-owned truck caused brain damage to plaintiff.
Train, Subway and Mass Transit Accidents
$4.25M Settlement
- A man was struck by a Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority train while it was pulling out of the station resulting in severe injuries, including brain injury, traumatic amputation of his left foot and dislocated shoulder.
$3.25M Settlement
- 39-year-old woman severely injured when the Metrolink train in which she was riding collided with another train in Chatsworth.
$2.2M Settlement
- Man and child killed when their automobile was struck by a train.
Insurance Bad Faith
$57M Verdict
- Insurance bad faith action arising from aviation accident which resulted in deaths of three men. Santesson v. Beech Aircraft
$5.1M Verdict
- Failure to timely resolve UIM claim. Defendant maintained a list of and discriminated against lawyers who primarily represented African Americans and Hispanic claimants and company policy to cases.
Dangerous and Defective Products
$13M Verdict
- 42-year-old truck driver rendered paraplegic after a defective forklift toppled over on top of him while he was making a delivery.
$6.5M Settlement
- 25-year-old factory worker suffered arm amputation while operating a defective bread dough mixer.
$5M Settlement
- Defectively-designed power tool malfunctioned causing construction worker’s death.
$4.5M Settlement
- Worker seriously injured when he fell from defectively designed man-lift.
$2.5M Settlement
- 40-year-old male suffered debilitating illness after ingesting dangerous over-the-counter vitamin supplements.
Premises Liability and Dangerous Property Conditions
$3.1M Verdict
- Award for battery and conspiracy against nightclub owner in business dispute with client who was kidnapped at gunpoint and shot when jumping from car to escape. Chao v. Ma
$3M Verdict
- 10-year-old boy was severely burned as a result of a public park’s dangerous condition.
$2.1M Settlement
- Woman died from burns suffered after she fell in shower and was scalded by hot water from a dangerous water heater in her apartment building.
Dangerous Public Roads
$5M Settlement
- A 52-year-old woman left paralyzed after an auto versus motorcycle accident in a CALTRANS construction zone which was a dangerous condition of public property.
$3.7M Verdict
- Verdict against CALTRANS for Dangerous Condition of Public Property. Roadway design caused drunk driver to cross into oncoming traffic lane and collide with plaintiff on motorcycle with 10-year-old son, killing son and amputating plaintiff’s leg.
$3.5M Settlement
- 38-year-old man killed in truck vs. motorcycle collision caused by truck driver’s negligence and dangerous condition of public highway.
Traumatic Brain Injury
$4.3M Settlement
- Pedestrian struck by vehicle driven by school teacher while in “course & scope” of her employment causing the pedestrian traumatic brain injury.
$3.25M Settlement
- Adult female suffered serious injuries, including traumatic brain injury, in Metrolink train accident in Chatsworth
Employment Discrimination and Wrongful Termination of Employment
$1.8M Verdict
- Male business executive discharged from his job because of age-bias by Japanese executives.
Civil Rights Violations and Police Misconduct
$8.75M Verdict
- An unarmed 29-year-old man shot to death by Los Angeles County Sheriffs. Montalvo vs. Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept.
$7.5M Settlement
- Kurt Reinhold was shot to death by police officers in San Clemente. This is the largest settlement against the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for a police shooting.
$7.4M Settlement
- $7.4 million settlement in Samuel Chang v. Carpenter, et al., on behalf of individual who was attacked on Halloween night by two off duty firefighters and three other individuals.
$4.6M Settlement
- $4.6 million settlement in Bowers v. County of Los Angeles, where an unarmed man was shot and killed by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy.
$6.75M Verdict
- Police shot plaintiff mistaking him for person they were pursuing on foot. Galal v. City of Long Beach
$6.75M Settlement
- Violation of civil rights by City
$3.4M Settlement
- Civil rights case against the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, where deputies caused the death of an unarmed man by restraint asphyxia.
$3.3M Verdict
- High speed pursuit by Border Patrol Agents caused multiple deaths; verdict against the U.S. Border Patrol, to parents of 2 students killed when walking to school, struck by fleeing car chased by U.S. Border patrol agents. Murillo vs. United States of America
$3.3M Verdict
- Civil Rights/Wrongful Death—Police shot 16 yr. old boy running from vehicle after vehicle pursuit. Velasquez v. City of Compton
$2.7M Verdict
- 15-year old boy shot by police due to improper suspect pursuit techniques.
$2.2M Verdict
- Verdict against the City of Los Angeles on behalf of the father of a 26-year-old African-American male who was shot and killed in front of his family by Los Angeles Police Department officers. Eaddy v. City of Los Angeles
$2.1M Settlement
- The largest known settlement in California against a public entity, on behalf of a woman who suffered injuries after being bitten by a police K-9 dog.
Bullying in Schools
$1.35M Settlement
- Student bullied by his classmates to the point where he overdosed on medication in an attempted suicide; negligence on the school’s part in its failure to enforce its anti-bullying policy and in its failure to properly investigate bullying allegations.