$12,000,000 verdict
$10,000,000 for 69 year old man struck in crosswalk by car, causing brain damage with inability to speak, right sided paralysis and lifetime need for skilled nursing care. $2,000,000 for his wife's loss of consortium.

$1,470,000 verdict
36-year-old information technology product manager suffered lateral whiplash with head rotation from a truck broadsiding the left rear of his car and spinning it around. Brief PTA, chronic myofascial pain disorder and facet joint injury in neck with insomnia and fatigue. Concussion with lost sense of smell, slowed cognitive processing, distractibility, difficulty retrieving information, inability to complete projects, depression, crying, anxiety and irritability. Reduced lifetime earning capacity. Liability and injury were disputed.

* According to Trials Digest, this was the 3rd highest verdict in California legal history in a whiplash case without head contact, based on review of its database of cases from 1983-2003.

$385,000 verdict
48-year-old self-employed physical therapist rear-ended by commercial van. Concussion with confusion and permanent double vision due to stretch injury to left 6th cranial nerve. Liability and causation of injury disputed.

1,500,000 settlement
37-year-old aerospace engineer in high-speed rear end crash, suffered skull fracture with brief LOC and epidural hematoma over left temporal lobe, requiring craniotomy 6 days post-incident. Ice pick headaches. Reduced multi-tasking and loss of ability to retain data from conversation or process verbal instructions at work. Reduced lifetime earning capacity. Liability accepted. Policy limits paid.

$1,000,000 settlement
72 year old retired phone company sales manager suffered skull fracture, multiple brain contusions, LOC and fractures to right shoulder and ribs when his front tire struck tree root humps on the paved surface of a Class II bike lane that were concealed by shade. Total loss of smell and taste, partial loss of vision and hearing, imbalance, emotional liability with crying, difficulty with word finding and inability to process bills or taxes. Loss of recreation, sports and leisure due to medical restrictions. Liability was disputed.

$760,000 settlement
44-year-old medical products packaging salesman struck by big rig. Skull fracture, brain contusion and LOC. Complete loss of taste and smell, insomnia, fatigue, cognitive slowing, distractibility, mood swings. Able to work only half days at slower speed. Dispute over contributory negligence.

$750,000 settlement
37-year-old housewife and part-time gymnastics teacher suffered concussion with brief PTA and torn rotator cuff when struck on head by falling pallet at superstore. Cognitive slowing, distractibility, apathy, lethargy, depression and reduced ability to care for self, home and children.

$750,000 settlement
40-year-old Buddhist nun from South Korea, struck in crosswalk by car passing stopped truck suffered closed head injury with brief PTA and herniated lumbar disc. Headaches, dizziness, loss of cognitive flexibility and cognitive slowing with decreased capacity to translate Buddhist texts and inability to attend PhD program in Oriental Studies. Dispute over permanency of cognitive deficits.

$450,000 settlement
51-year-old househusband with avocations of Buddhist meditation and water color painting, struck by uninsured vehicle on bicycle, causing fractured ring finger, shoulder separation and concussion without LOC but with 15 minutes of PTA. Chronic cognitive slowing with lost concentration and inability to meditate, poor balance with falls, insomnia, depression and lost libido. Dispute over injury severity.

$400,000 settlement
37 year old, single male information systems employee rear-ended at 10-12 mph, struck forehead on steering wheel and suffered closed head injury with headache, cognitive slowing, distractibility, neck pain, and personality change with paranoia. Headache and neck pain aggravated by minor accident 3 months later. Disputes over liability, causation and apportionment.

$240,000 settlement
16 year old struck by car at night outside crosswalk while chasing his pet cat. Concussion with headache, apathy and loss of initiation. No LOC. Minimal PTA. Liability and injury disputed. Allegations of pre-existing problems including head injury, learning disability, depression and anti-social conduct disorder.