Verdicts and Settlements


Drunk Driver v. Auto

$10,000,000.00 structured settlement for a wrongful death case against the MTA. A twelve year old little girl who lost her mother as a result of a bus running over her had been told by ten prior attorneys that they did not have a case came to our firm for representation. Our firm took the case and after investigation found out that there is more to a story than just the facts in a police report. Although our efforts could not bring back the little girl's mother we were able to recover enough so that her future could be easier financially.

Confidential settlement for a case against a golf cart manufacturer which negligently maintained and serviced golf cart causing it to run over the plaintiff and lead to serious injury. The defendants refused to settle until we took the case over from another attorney sixty days prior to trial and promptly performed an investigation into maintenance records whereupon we discovered they were intentionally destroyed by the manufacturer to defeat liability in this case.

Wrongful Death - $1,300,000.00 Settlement.
20 year old man was tragically and needlessly killed by a drunk driver in Arizona. He was survived by his mother, father, and his siblings. He was not married, and did not have any children. The insurance company offered only $250,000 to our client's parents prior to our involvement. In addition, the defense attorney hired by the insurance company obtained an astoundingly low $250,000.00 jury verdict for a similar case in the same jurisdiction just weeks prior to the settlement. Nevertheless, we were able to negotiate a $1,300,000.00 settlement prior to filing a lawsuit.

Taxi Cab v. SUV

$325,000.00 Settlement. Plaintiff was in an automobile accident with a taxi cab. Liability was disputed. Plaintiff suffered neck and shoulder injuries, and had an unrelated back surgery two years after the accident.

Confidential settlement with regard to and auto v. auto case wherein a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction on the freeway hit a pile of asphalt negligently left near the median which in turn caused the vehicle to go over the median and crush another car proceeding in the opposite direction.

Dog Bite - 8 year old Plaintiff

$315,420.00 Structured Settlement. Plaintiff, an eight year old boy, was playing with neighbor's dog when bitten on the mouth, requiring stitches, leaving no visible scarring.

$250,000 Settlement. The defendant, who was drunk, crossed over the center divider striking the plaintiff's vehicle. The Plaintiff sustained a minor lumbar disc bulge requiring epidural injections but no surgery.

Dog Bite in Compton - $245,000.00 Jury Verdict.
Our client was bitten on the left arm by her neighbor's dog and subsequently underwent surgery to repair severed tendons. The Defendant denied her dog was involved, and blamed the attack on strays in the neighborhood. Defendant offered only $5,000.00 before trial as "nuisance value". The jury found 12-0 in our favor and awarded our client $245,000.00.

Confidential settlement for a motorcyclist who lost his foot as a result of a car not being able to navigate Mulholland Highway in a legal manner.

Elevator Trip and fall

$235,000.00 Settlement. Client tripped and fell in her apartment complex while entering the elevator, breaking her left wrist, requiring surgery. We alleged that Plaintiff tripped and fell due to a misleveling problem with the elevator. Defendants denied knowledge of any such problem and disputed liability. Through extensive discovery and investigation, we were able to obtain documents indicating that Defendants knew that the elevator did not level properly, and that they failed to fix the problem.

Parking Lot Auto Accident

$231,000 Jury Verdict. Plaintiff, an on duty police officer, was standing next to his motorcycle when it was struck and knocked over by car backing out of a parking spot. Plaintiff injured his wrist while trying to keep his motorcycle from falling to the ground. The defense insurance company failed to offer the $50,000 policy limit prior to the trial and ended paying the $231,000 verdict and all trial costs.

Trip and Fall - Apartment Building

200,000.00 Settlement. Plaintiff, a day laborer, tripped and fell down a set of stairs at his apartment complex where he lived for over 10 years. Plaintiff sustained a fractured ankle, requiring surgery. Defendant denied liability, alleging it was solely the Plaintiff's fault that he fell. We filed suit and were able to obtain documents indicating the apartment complex had prior knowledge that the staircase needed repair.

Confidential settlements with regard to various Northridge Earthquake cases.
These settlements and verdicts were the first steps in getting the insurance companies to stop wrongfully denying earthquake claims for any reason the various companies could find to limit their insurance payments. These various settlements and verdicts ultimately resulted in the state law being changed to extend the time consumers were allowed to file earthquake claims as a result of the Northridge Earthquake.

Auto v. Pedestrian

$135,000 Pre-litigation settlement. Plaintiff, who was homeless, was crossing the street in a crosswalk when the defendant made a left turn striking the plaintiff, knocking him to the ground. He sustained a fractured collar bone and required no surgery.

Freeway Auto Accident

$125,000.00 Settlement. Plaintiff was in a four car accident on the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles, California. During the accident, Plaintiff injured his neck, requiring orthopedic and chiropractic treatment. Plaintiff had less than $8,000.00 in medical bills. Defendants denied the claim, stating that Plaintiff caused the accident. After filing suit, ourselves, along with our accident reconstruction experts, were able to recreate the accident in accordance with all of the evidence and deposition testimony of all parties and witnesses. The recreation showed that our client was not at fault, and defendants then accepted liability and settled the case.

Confidential settlement for legal malpractice against another attorney's office for failing to file a legal complaint timely despite the serious neck injury plaintiff sustained in a train accident.

Rear-end Auto Accident

$100,000.00 Settlement. Client was rear-ended by Defendant causing nominal damage to Plaintiff's vehicle. Plaintiff injured his shoulder during the accident, and was recommended surgery. Defendant initially contested causation, stating that the impact was too light to cause such an injury. In the end, even though Plaintiff only had $5,000.00 in medical bills and did not have surgery, Defendant paid the policy limit of $100,000.00.

Confidential settlement for sexual discrimination against employer due to sexual orientation and the hostile workplace environment in a restaurant.

Speak to an attorney at no cost. No recovery, no fee. Contact us if you are injured -- even if you are not sure you have a case. Se habla español.

Lederer & Nojima LLP represents injury victims and their families in the Los Angeles area and throughout California, in communities such as Santa Monica, Torrance, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Palm Springs, Riverside, Encino, Sherman Oaks, South Bay, West Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, Mid-Wilshire, Downtown L.A., Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Monterey Park, El Monte, Montebello, Whittier, Burbank, Van Nuys, San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, and the Westside, and in counties including Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Ventura County.