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Brian Panish and Matthew Stumpf of Panish Shea & Boyle LLP and R. Rex Parris, Bruce Schechter, Khail A. Parris, and Eric N. Wilson of PARRIS Law Firm secured a major jury award in Los Angeles County Superior Court in February on behalf of victims of a horrific collision.

Two Southern California brothers were severely injured following a head-on collision with a semi-truck owned and operated by CRST, a freight company. On July 7, 2014, the plaintiffs were traveling northbound on State Route 14 en route to their annual fishing trip at Mammoth Lake, California. As their vehicle approached a construction zone absent of K-rails, a CRST big rig driven by the defendant crossed over the yellow line in the southbound lanes and into opposing traffic, striking the brothers’ vehicle head-on.

Although the defendant admitted responsibility for the accident, jurors were called upon to decide what amount of compensatory damages the plaintiffs deserved and whether punitive damages were warranted. The judge ruled the punitive damages should not go to the jury.

Throughout the 16-day trial, the plaintiffs’ lawyers convinced the jury of the severity of the injuries. The jury agreed and found in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding a total of $53,745,374.

“The lives of these two men were forever changed as a result of this horrific accident and the negligent employment practices of CRST,” said Brian Panish, partner at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP.

The case, John Does, et al. v. CRST Inc., et al, (Case No. MC025288) was tried before Hon. J. Stephen Czuleger in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles – North District.

The defendants were represented by Fred M. Blum, Michael E. Gallagher and Lisa Stevenson of Bassi Edlin Huie & Blum LLP.

Leaders In The Law reported on Panish Shea & Boyle’s work for California’s wildfire victims in October 2017. The firm was also listed in Northern California’s Leading Lawyers 2017 for having one of the top settlements of 2016.