Bejar et al. v. Lopez

Personal Injury

Los Angeles County

Superior Court Judge Edward B Moreton, Jr.

$49.6 Million

Plaintiffs Attorneys: Parris Law Firm, R. Rex Parris, Khail A. Parris, Bruce L. Schecter, Eric N. Wilson; Seck Law, Ibiere N. Seck

Defense Attorneys: Gordon Rees Scully Mansukani, William M. Rathbone, Gabriel G. Hedrick, Tatiana Dupuy; Law Office Of Kurt W. Hallock, Kurt W. Hallock

R. Rex Parris

Flashing his emergency lights and sounding the siren on his motorcycle, California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Bejar was trying to stop a speeding driver on I-5 in Santa Clarita when a distracted driver rear-ended him, ejecting him onto the freeway at high speed.

Bejar suffered injuries to his eye, neck, shoulders, lower back, knee and wrist plus a mild traumatic brain injury.

In the lawsuit that followed, Bejar's attorney, Khail A. Parris of Parris Law Firm, contended that recklessness and negligence by the driver who struck the cycle, Josefina Lopez, caused the officer's severe injuries and his wife's loss of consortium. Bejar v. Lopez, BC675339 (Los Angeles Co. Super. Ct., filed Sept. 8, 2017).

"Eric Bejar went through hell, from being a lively, active peace officer to being thrown to the mat--yet at every turn the defense tried to screw him," said Parris, who tried the case with his father R. Rex Parris and colleagues and Ibiere N. Seck of Seck Law PC.

Despite what Parris called obstructive tactics by defense lawyers at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukani LLP and the Law Office of Kurt W. Hallock, jurors in October 2021 found Lopez 100 percent liable. They awarded Eric Bejar $6.7 million for earning losses and future medical expenses and $39 million in non-economic damages. The panel gave his wife $3.9 million.

"There were a host of challenges," Parris said. "They disputed liability, which was crazy--he had his lights and siren on when she rear-ended him. The defendant had a shocking agreement with her insurer [Victoria Fire & Casualty Co.] to blame our client and declare bankruptcy in exchange for money, but it was clear that was a ruse. When we got her on the stand, she denied everything, so the judge let the agreement in so we could impeach her. In the end, her story didn't have any credibility."

Following a six-week trial, the jury deliberated for two days.

The defense has petitioned for a new trial. Gordon Rees partner William M. Rathbone did not return a message seeking comment on the case.

"Eric Bejar is one of the best clients I ever had," Parris said. "At every turn, he'd remain positive. If we had a bad day in court, he'd encourage us and console us."

He added, "I think [the jury] protected an officer who spent his life protecting all of us. And I think that what the insurance company did in this case was despicable."

- John Roemer

Khail A. Parris

Eric N. Wilson