MOTOR VEHICLE
Plaintiff claiming shoulder and neck injuries awarded $1.5 million
On Nov. 20, 2013, a jury awarded $1.5 million to a man who claimed that he tore his shoulder as a passenger in a pickup truck that was struck by a tractor-trailer. Truck driver Arturo Huerta and truck owner Jesse Vargas stipulated to liability in the intersection crash with Ralph Hogue. He claimed a full thickness rotator cuff tear in his nondominant left shoulder, cervical strains and a laceration to his left leg. The plaintiff’s life care planning expert said Hogue will need a dorsal column stimulator implanted or a second fusion surgery in his neck. Hogue claimed he can’t lift significant weights because of his shoulder and he needs surgical repair. His award included $265,592 in future medical expenses.
