Success Stories

Have you been injured in an accident?

If you or someone you know have been involved in a serious accident resulting in injury or wrongful death, please visit our "Accident FAQs" page where you will learn what you should and should not do following an accident.

The following is a brief list of interesting verdicts and settlements which the law office of CSF&W has obtained on behalf of their clients. These exemplar cases cover a wide range of ways in which individuals and small businesses can be severely injured or defrauded. The defendants include insurance companies, child molesters, negligent big rig drivers, financial institutions, negligent auto manufacturers, governmental agencies, and mismanaged medical bureaucracies.

While the following is designed to demonstrate the many ways in which CSF&W can creatively and effectively assist individuals in their fight for justice, they do not represent any guarantee of recovery by you. Any such claim would be impossible. Instead, these cases represent how a solid relationship between a dedicated, hard-working law firm and an honorable, victimized client can find justice in our court system.

Auto/Truck Accidents

If you have been injured in an auto or truck accident, please visit our "Auto Accidents" or "Truck Accidents" pages for advice.

$5,000,000.00
Settlement for an 18 year old who was rendered a quadriplegic as a result of the negligence of a teenage driver who had been served alcohol at a restaurant. A national chain restaurant served a group of teenagers alcohol without carding any of them.

$1.8 million
Settlement for a man who sustained head injuries in an auto truck accident in Los Banos, California. The trucker failed to operate his rig in a safe fashion causing it to strike an automobile. The man suffered multiple head injury defects including memory loss, inability to concentrate or multi-task.

$1.6 million
Verdict against the City of Santa Cruz for the family of a man killed when a group of panicked horses collided with his truck on the freeway. The city failed to adequately secure a gate which allowed the horses to get free.

$1.35 million
Settlement against PG&E and the county of Santa Cruz for injuries sustained by a man and woman when their car struck a utility pole in Watsonville. The pole had been placed in an unsafe position near the roadway where it was foreseeable that a vehicle could strike it.

$1.2 million
Settlement for a man injured in a head-on collision in Santa Cruz County. The at-fault driver lost control of his vehicle while driving in the rain.

$1,000,000.00
Settlement on the first day of trial for a man who was severely injured while working for Davy Tree Company. The large tree cutting truck had a brake repair job done a day before. During the brake repair job the mechanic put in the brakes backwards which resulted in all of the brake fluid leaking out of the truck. As the truck came down a steep hill after doing a job, the driver lost the brakes and the victim had to jump out of the truck while it was careening out of control down a hill, suffering major injuries.

$825,000.00
Settlement for a woman who lost her leg in an automobile accident. A defendant driver negligently stuck the passenger side of the vehicle after running a stop sign.

$750,000.00
Settlement for the surviving adult children of a man killed in an airplane crash in San Jose, California. The pilot had failed to perform an adequate precheck of the plane which would have revealed a defect in a major component.

$602,000.00
Verdict against a King City Trucking Company for head injuries sustained by a woman in an auto/truck accident on Highway 101 in Monterey, California. The trucker had jack-knifed his rig across the highway at night without adequate reflectors on the truck.

$600,000.00
Settlement for a woman who was injured by a junior high school principal on her way home from work. Although the principal was on her way home, the School District accepted responsibility for the accident.

$525,000.00
Settlement for the family of a woman killed in an auto/truck accident on Highway 101 in Monterey County, California.

$525,000.00
Settlement with Burger King in Capitola, CA for a young boy who was injured in the parking lot. A trucker got inpatient with traffic on 41^st Avenue and tried to cut through the Burger King parking lot to get to his destination. In his rush the trucker failed to see a young boy crossing the parking lot. The young boy suffered major injuries which were complicated by the fact that he was a hemophiliac.

$100,000.00
Verdict for a woman who suffered a neck injury that required surgery when an Airborne Express delivery truck lost control in the rain, crossed the center line, and hit the woman head on while on her way to her job as a school teacher. The insurance company argued to the jury that the woman’s problems were simply due to old age, but the jury rejected that argument and found the accident caused her neck injury.

Spinal Cord Injuries

If you have suffered a spinal cord injury, please visit our "Spinal Cord Injuries" page for advice.

$2.25 million
Settlement in an automobile design defect case for a 31-year-old married mother of two who suffered a neck injury and subsequent C-5 quadriplegia. Plaintiff claimed her 1992 mini van defectively designed because of its increased propensity to roll over, its inadequate roof crush resistance, and its defective seat belt system, among other problems. Destructive crash testing supported the plaintiffs allegations. Settlement guaranteed the plaintiff and her family their economic security for life.

Brain Injuries

If you have suffered a brain injury, please visit our "Brain Injuries" page for advice.

$2.15 Million
Settlement for a 25-year-old female plaintiff injured when her car was hit by a U.S. Army Hemmet Wrecker, an eight foot wide, 32.5 foot long tow vehicle. The plaintiff's injuries included multiple cognitive deficits, spasticity of the left foot and left hand, balance impairment, atrophy of the left shoulder girdle muscle, slight left foot drop secondary to ankle tendon contracture, and contracture of the left hand.

Because the plaintiff did not have liability insurance at the time of this accident, she was prevented by Proposition 213 from recovering general damages for pain and suffering. Based on a life care plan which was created for plaintiff, she will receive $2,148,697.00 in payout.

$2.2 million
Settlement for a man who sustained head injuries in a fall on a construction site in Arizona. The contractor had put up inadequate railings.

$560,000.00
A middle-age Hispanic gentleman suffered an intracerebral hematoma after being punched by a guest at a party and then hitting his head as he fell to the ground. The plaintiff thereafter suffered from cognitive and emotional difficulties. Plaintiff demanded the homeowners policy limit of $300,000 in settlement, but the defendant offered $150,000. At trial the jury awarded $500,000 plus prejudgment interest of $60,958.00, all of which was paid.

Child Sexual Abuse

If you or someone you know is a victim of child sexual abuse, please visit our "Child Sexual Abuse" and our "Should I Sue My Perpetrator?" pages for advice.

$2.75 million
Three middle-aged men successfully prosecuted their claims that they had been molested by a family friend some 40 years earlier. Despite obstacles created by the statute of limitations and proof problems, these brave men exposed the truth, obtained needed therapy, and financially punished the child molester responsible.

$1.5 million
A twenty-three year old Las Vegas woman sued her mother and adopted father based on her adopted father’s rape of her when she was 13 years old. Her parents denied the fact of the sexual assault, as well as audiotape evidence the daughter had obtained, and instead claimed that their daughter was simply a "bad seed." After extensive discovery involving depositions of numerous family members, friends, physicians and business associates, the case settled for ten times the plaintiff’s original demand which was made prior to filing the lawsuit.

$880,000.00
A twenty-five year old woman had been sexual abused as a child by her seriously deranged father. When she learned that her father had remarried for a fourth time, and had yet another set of young children to potentially victimize, we represented her in a lawsuit. Ultimately, a mediated solution was obtained shortly before trial. The Defendant Father, however, violated the court’s order, fired his original lawyer, refused to pay, and appealed the U.S. District Court’s affirmation of the arbitrator’s order requiring him to pay. Both the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court rejected his attempts to avoid responsibility. He lost at every stage, and our client was successful in her difficult legal and emotional struggle.

$400,000.00
This case involved two brothers who were molested by their stepfather. A significant portion of the stepfather’s net worth was recovered for the brothers to both compensate them and punish the stepfather. As a result of this lawsuit, the stepfather was criminally prosecuted and ultimately sent to State Prison.

$300,000.00.
A twenty-two year old Los Angeles area woman brought a civil suit against her parents for having “group sex” with her during early teen years. Not only did this courageous woman obtain monetary compensation from her stepfather (which she used in part to complete her education), but the legal process led to a reconciliation of sorts between mother and daughter, with the guilt-ridden mother taking full responsibility for her shameful conduct, and allowing her daughter to define the terms by which any new relationship would be created, essentially inverting the psychological power imbalance which had been created by the original abuse.

Construction Site Accidents

If you have been injured at a construction site, please visit our "Construction Accidents" page for advice.

$2.2 million
Settlement for a man who sustained head injuries in a fall on a construction site in Arizona. The contractor had put up inadequate railings.

$900,000.00
Settlement for a man who sustained head injuries in a fall on a construction site in Arizona. The contractor had put up inadequate railings.Settlement for a man injured in an apartment house explosion in Oakland. There was a gas leak that the landlord knowingly chose not to repair in a timely fashion.

$250,000.00
Settlement for a construction worker who was electrocuted when a Lockheed employee turned on the breaker switch.

Nursing Home Abuse

If you or your loved one has been neglected or abused at a nursing home, please visit our "Nursing Home Abuse" page for advice.

$450,000.00
A middle-aged woman suffering from severe multiple sclerosis sued her nursing home for dependent adult neglect and abuse arising out of the development of pressure sores (decubitus ulcers). Significant discovery and investigation revealed that the nursing home had failed to follow doctor’s orders, failed to follow California regulations, as well as its own policies and procedures regarding preventing skin problems and treating residents with pressure sores.

$350,000.00
The family of an elderly gentleman who was suffering from severe, long term diabetes, renal failure, cardiovascular disease, and cancer and sued the nursing home. The nursing home’s neglect resulted in multiple falls and fractured bones to this man, which the family contended hastened his death.

$375,000.00
Settlement awarded to a woman who was sexually abused by nursing home staff, where it was contended that the nursing home should have been aware of the staff’s potential to abuse the woman.

$275,000.00
A dependent adult who entered the nursing home with severe pressure sores and skin problems successfully prosecuted his case of neglect and abuse as a result of the nursing home’s failure to properly treat his skin problems, leading to alleged infections and hospitalizations. This gentleman was not only successful in his lawsuit, but was able to leave the nursing home and is now living independently.

Product Liability

If you have been injured as a result of a product defect, please visit our "Product liability" page for advice.

$625,000.00
Recovery for a middle-aged man who underwent reconstructive knee surgery using infected donor tissue, resulting in multiple surgeries and an ultimate knee replacement. The lawsuit was brought against the tissue bank which provided the tainted allograft tissue.

$500,000.00
Settlement for the surviving spouse in an automotive design defect case against General Motors involving a defectively designed fuel tank. General Motors negligently designed their trucks by placing the fuel tank outside the main frame of the truck.

Wrongful Death

If your loved one has been wrongfully killed, please visit our "Wrongful Death" page for advice.

$525,000.00
Settlement for the family of a woman killed in an auto/truck accident on Highway 101 in Monterey County, California.

Other Personal Injury

$450,000.00
Settlement against the City of Santa Cruz for a bicyclist injured on a bicycle trail. The city installed a drainage culvert across the bike path without realizing that this would cause bicyclists to lose control of their bikes.

$500,000.00
Settlement for a Capitola man when his mother-in-law hired a hit man to kill him over a child custody dispute. The would-be hit man unknowingly hired an undercover officer to be his accomplice.

$700,000.00
Settlement for a man injured when he slipped and fell in a Long's Drug Store. The injury occurred when the victim was making a delivery to the store and slipped on a Christmas ornament that was on the floor.

$700,000.00
Settlement for a woman who was injured while shopping at the Ford’s Department store in downtown Santa Cruz in the 1989 earthquake. The back of the Ford’s Department store collapsed during the earthquake burying the woman under a pile of ruble. She was extricated alive but had a severe leg injury. The settlement was paid by Ford’s Department store for failing to retrofit the store in anticipation of a major earthquake in the area.

$160,000.00
Verdict for a man who was defrauded by his automobile insurance carrier. The man was involved in a rearend collision where the defendant was uninsured. When the man made an uninsured motorist claim with his carrier, they produced a document purportedly signed by him waiving uninsured motorist coverage. The man denied ever signing the document. In a trial handwriting experts testified that the man’s signature was forged by the insurance company. The jury agreed and returned a verdict for the man for $60,000.00 in general damages and $100,000.00 for punitive damages.

Call Cartwright, Scruggs, Fulton and Walther,
Santa Cruz County's most experienced and largest personal injury law firm.
831.457.1700

For cases related to child sexual abuse we serve the state of California including, but not limited to, the greater bay area of Santa Clara County, San Francisco County, and San Mateo County. For all other personal injury cases, CSF&W personal injury attorneys serve the greater Santa Cruz County areas including the cities and towns of Capitola, Aptos, Soquel, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Felton, Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Bonny Doon, Brookdale, Davenport, Freedom, Watsonville, and Corralitos; Monterey County and it's cities Salinas, Castroville, Carmel, Monterey, Marina, Seaside, Moss Landing, and Big Sur; and San Benito County including Hollister, Tres Pinos and San Juan Bautista.