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Background

On September 17, 2021, at approximately 12:30 am, Officer David Baker, of the Salem Police Department, pulled into the parking lot of OK Tire of Salem, a tire and repair shop. At the time, Christopher Garza, along with two other men, were at the tire shop working on a car on the premises. When Officer Baker presented at the tire shop, he asked Mr. Garza if he was stealing the car. Mr. Garza failed to answer the question and walked away, which prompted Officer Baker to grab him by the neck and shoulder and shove him onto the hood of the police car. Officer Baker then handcuffed Mr. Garza and put him in the back of the squad car.

Unbeknownst to Officer Baker, Mr. Garza lived in an RV on the property. Upon discovering that Mr. Garza’s address was the same as the tire shop, Officer Baker released Mr. Garza without charges.

Portland Jury Awards $3.15M Police Excessive Force Garza v. City of Salem

What Happened in the Sterigenics Claim?

The settlement focuses on the claims of plaintiff Quinn Buczek and others represented by the law firm Conley Griggs Partin LLP. The plaintiffs face cancer and other medical conditions; they argue that their medical issues stem from exposure to ethylene oxide used at the Sterigenics medical sterilization plant located near Atlanta.

Ethylene oxide is useful as a sterilizing agent due to its ability to disrupt DNA, according to The National Institutes of Health. This DNA-disrupting property, however, can also affect exposed humans and other animals, causing cancer.

Sterigenics to Pay $35M to Settle Atlanta Ethylene Oxide Claims

A Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owner has agreed to pay $3 million to a customer who suffered third-degree burns after the company’s coffee spilled on her. Golden Donuts, LLC, the Atlanta franchisee, entered into the agreement to settle allegations of active and gross negligence. Its parent company, Dunkin’ Donuts, was not named in the lawsuit.

Back in February 2021, plaintiff, Alpana Joshi, who was 70 years old at the time, had purchased a coffee from Golden Donuts through its drive-thru window. After she was passed the coffee cup, the lid came off and the hot coffee spilled onto her lap, causing second and third-degree burns to her thighs, groin, and abdomen. According to her attorney, she required extensive skin grafts and had to spend weeks in the burn unit of a hospital, costing her $200,000 in medical bills. Due to the severity of her burns, the plaintiff had to re-learn how to walk. Walking remains painful for her and she must treat her burns with creams frequently throughout the day. She also cannot go out in the sun.

Represented by Benjamin J. Welch of the law firm Morgan & Morgan, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against Golden Donut, alleging that the spill occurred because the drive-thru employee failed to properly secure the lids on the plaintiff’s coffee cup. The complaint in Alpana Joshi v. Golden Donuts LLC, 22-C-02023-S1, filed in the State Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia, alleged that Golden Donuts was vicariously liable for the negligence of its employees.

Dunkin' Franchisee Will Pay $3M Over Spilled Coffee

The jury sided with Maria Jose Pizarro on claims that Pizarro faced a hostile work environment and employment discrimination during her job as a manager of Euros El Tina, a New York City Nightclub

What Happened in the Case

Pizarro began working at Euros El Tina Restaurant Lounge and Billiards Corp as a general manager in 2010. She served as general manager of the club until she was fired in November 2019.

Ex-Club Worker Nabs $2.7M Jury Win In Harassment Suit

An insurer asked a New York federal court to relieve it of covering a $16.5 million judgment awarded against a community development consultant after an employee's fatal fall in a wrongful death suit, stating they were notified nine years after filing of the 2014 US Southern District of New York lawsuit, "Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. v. South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, d/b/a SoBro et al." case number 1:23-cv-04101, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

In the complaint Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. said it was deprived of the opportunity to investigate and defend the underlying suit brought against its insureds, South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SoBro), and Bufny II Associates LP, so coverage does not apply.

In Philadelphia Co.'s commercial general liability and commercial excess liability policies, SoBro is required to notify the insurer as soon as possible if a claim arises, according to the suit. The complaint alleges that the underlying suit was filed in 2014, but Philadelphia Co. wasn't notified until nine years later.

Insurer Wants Out Of $16M Award For Worker's Fatal Fall

What Happened?

On November 11, 2017, plaintiff Francis Amagasu (age 58) and his son, Katsutoshi, were traveling in Buckingham Township, Pennsylvania when the plaintiff attempted to maneuver around another vehicle and lost control of his 1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT. The car drove off the roadway and rolled over. During the rollover, the plaintiff became partially ejected from his seat, despite wearing his seatbelt. As a result, he sustained injuries to his spine, neck, head, and other parts of his body, rendering him paralyzed from the neck down. Plaintiff lives in a rehabilitation facility and is unable to resume his day-to-day life due to the severity of his injuries.

The plaintiff’s wife, acting on his behalf as his power of attorney, brought a lawsuit against Mitsubishi under theories of negligence and strict liability. The complaint alleged that the vehicle was defective and unreasonably dangerous in that its structures were not adequate to protect its passengers from rollovers and that it did not contain a proper restraint system, seats, seatbelts, or steering system, among other claims. The complaint also alleged that the vehicle failed to meet all applicable and reasonable safety standards and failed to warn consumers of its dangerousness. The plaintiff asserted that the actions of Mitsubishi constituted willful and wanton misconduct in disregard of safety.

Portland Jury Awards $3.15M Police Excessive Force Garza v. City of Salem

Sterigenics to Pay $35M to Settle Atlanta Ethylene Oxide Claims

Dunkin' Franchisee Will Pay $3M Over Spilled Coffee

Ex-Club Worker Nabs $2.7M Jury Win In Harassment Suit

Insurer Wants Out Of $16M Award For Worker's Fatal Fall

Mitsubishi Hit With $980M Verdict In PA Crash Suit