Friend v. Bickford
Published: Sep. 11, 1999 | Result Date: Mar. 10, 1999 | Filing Date: Jan. 1, 1900 |Case number: 96AS07155 Verdict – $13,020
Judge
Court
Sacramento Superior
Attorneys
Plaintiff
Defendant
Carol A. Wieckowski
(Evans Wieckowski Ward & Scoffield LLP)
Experts
Plaintiff
Pasquale X. Montesano
(medical)
William P. Duffy
(medical)
Defendant
Jennifer L. Martin
(medical)
William R. Neuman
(technical)
Dan D. Layton
(technical)
Pierre Dreyfus
(medical)
Facts
On Dec. 30, 1995, defendant Pamela Bickford was driving a vehicle owned by Dennis and Karen Grahame-Drury when she was involved in a rear-end collision with plaintiffÆs vehicle.
Settlement Discussions
The plaintiff made a CCP º 998 settlement demand for $100,000 as to Phillip Forteza on Aug. 27, 1998, and for $100,000 as to Yvonne Friend on June 30, 1998. The defendant made a CCP º 998 offer of compromise for $24, 452, as to Phillip Forteza, for $42,554 as to Yvonne Friend, and for $6,580 as to Felicia Friend on September 3, 1998.
Damages
The plaintiffs claimed specials as follows: Medicals of $17,000 and future medicals of $60,000-$70,000 for Phillip Forteza; Loss of earnings of $3,000 and future loss of earnings of $12,000 for Phillip Forteza; Medicals of $31,300 and future medicals of $40,000-$75,000 for Yvonne Friend; Loss of earnings of $30,000 for Yvonne Friend with future loss of earnings of $2,000; and $10,000 in medicals for Felicia Friend.
Other Information
The verdict was reached two years and three months after the case was filed. The jury assessed comparative damages at 40 percent against plaintiff Forteza, and at 60% against defendant Bickford. There was key expert testimony from both sides as to whether the injuries of plaintiffs, Forteza and Yvonne Friend, required surgery.
Deliberation
one day
Poll
10-2 (liability), 10-2 (damages)
Length
seven days
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