Albert Robles v. California Parking Services, et al.
Published: Mar. 30, 2002 | Result Date: Sep. 24, 2001 | Filing Date: Jan. 1, 1900 |Case number: VC031103 Verdict – $144,974
Judge
Court
L.A. Superior Norwalk
Attorneys
Plaintiff
Steven B. Effres
(Effres & Associates)
Defendant
Experts
Plaintiff
Ralph A. Gambardella
(medical)
Defendant
Stewart L. Shanfield
(medical)
Facts
On Feb. 11, 1999, the plaintiff, a 33-year-old male and City Treasurer of South Gate, was at the Bicycle Club
Casino attending a political fund raiser. As he was crossing in front of his own car outside the casino, a valet
parker who had stopped the car, had taken his foot off the brake and the car had lunged forward, striking the
plaintiff in the left knee and knocking him to the ground.
The plaintiff showed through his expert witness that the MRI tear result was misread by the radiologist and did
in fact show a tear to the ACL. The plaintiff showed that an earlier ski incident did not damage the ACL and
that there was a full recovery from that injury within weeks and that the entry in prior medical records one
month before the incident did not deal with the ACL, but, if anything, would have dealt with the meniscus.
The defendant contended that the plaintiffÆs surgery was unrelated because the MRI
result was normal according to the radiologist and that the plaintiffÆs left knee problem pre-
existed the subject incident. The defendant contended that a ski incident in 1998 that injured the
left knee left the knee in a damaged condition, and that a medical record dated one month
before the subject incident had stated that the disc derangement to the left knee was the real
problem.
Specials in Evidence
$15,972
Injuries
The plaintiff suffered a tear to the interior cruciate ligament of his left knee requiring reconstructive surgery to that ligament. The plaintiff complained of ongoing knee pain but he testified he was now in the police academy, with the goal of joining the South Gate Police Department and had an excellent result from the surgery.
Deliberation
half day
Poll
12-0
Length
four days
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