Disputed nature and extent of injuries and damages in rear-ender. $220K. Santa Clara County.

Summary

Plaintiff goes to urgent care two days after the accident; later has facet injections for pain.

The Case

  • Case Name: Irina Ushakova v. Jianling Zhao
  • Court and Case Number: Santa Clara Superior Court / 21CV381929
  • Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, March 07, 2024
  • Date Action was Filed: Monday, April 26, 2021
  • Type of Case: Vehicles - Auto vs. Auto, Vehicles – rear-ender
  • Judge or Arbitrator(s): Hon. Daniel T. Nishigaya
  • Plaintiffs:
    Irina Ushakova
  • Defendants:
    Jianling Zhou
  • Type of Result: Jury Verdict

The Result

  • Gross Verdict or Award: $220,000
  • Net Verdict or Award: $220,000
  • Economic Damages:

    Future medical expenses: $100,000

  • Non-Economic Damages:

    Past: $75,000

    Future: $45,000

  • Trial or Arbitration Time: 10 days
  • Jury Deliberation Time: 2 days
  • Post Trial Motions & Post-Verdict Settlements: No motions. Pre-judgment interest of $55,026.51; Expert costs per CCP 998 of $100,000.

The Attorneys

  • Attorney for the Plaintiff:

    Anna Dubrovsky Law Group, Inc. by Anna Dubrovsky and Pavel Krepkiy, San Francisco.

  • Attorney for the Defendant:

    Smith, Koyama & Costello by Amy Carlson and Kristina Garabedian, San Jose.

The Experts

  • Plaintiff’s Medical Expert(s):

    Harpreet Singh, M.D., brain injury, neurology, pain management.

    Murray Solomon, M.D., neuroradiology.

    Bradley Mouroux, D.C., chiropractic.

    Jyoti Saboo, physical therapy.

  • Defendant's Medical Expert(s):

    Scott C. Berta, M.D., neurosurgery.

    Brian J. Doherty, Ph.D., biomechanics.

Facts and Background

  • Facts and Background:

    On December 4, 2019, plaintiff, a 30-year-old professional dancer, was driving  her 2005 Acura RSX,  a small two door sedan, travelling on Central Expressway in Sunnyvale. She was slowing down due to stopped traffic in front of her. Defendant driver crashed into the rear of plaintiff’s sedan. The impact was strong enough that plaintiff’s vehicle was pushed into the car stopped in front. At the time of the crash, plaintiff was on her way to a youth theater performance she was choreographing. She was picked up from the scene by a friend and driven to her intended destination.

    Two days later plaintiff was seen at a local urgent care clinic. Her initial complaints included headaches, neck and back pain. She then received several sessions of chiropractic treatment and several rounds of physical therapy. She was also followed by a neurologist and a pain management specialist. She had cervical and lumbar MRIs. 

  • Plaintiff's Contentions:

    That defendant was distracted by being on her cell phone while trying to turn on her car heater and that defendant failed to brake before crashing into the rear of plaintiff's car.

  • Defendant's Contentions:

    Defendant admitted liability but disputed the nature and extent of injuries and damages. Defendants argued that plaintiff’s neck and back injuries were essentially sprains that should have resolved within six months, at the most. They disputed that plaintiff suffered a brain injury.

    Plaintiff was very active on social media following the incident, posting videos and photos of herself dancing and traveling. Defendants used plaintiff’s photos and videos on social media in an attempt to show that she had fully recovered from any injuries in the accident within several months.

Injuries and Other Damages

  • Physical Injuries claimed by Plaintiff:

    Plaintiff claimed that she sustained a neck injury, back injury and brain injury. A March 2020 lumbar MRI revealed L4-L5 broad-based disc protrusion measuring 4 mm effacing the anterior thecal sac. In June 2021 plaintiff underwent a right L5-S1 intra-articular facet joint injection performed by Harpreet Singh, M.D. On August 30, 2023, plaintiff received a repeat lumbar facet injection by Dr. Singh.

Special Damages

  • Special Damages Claimed - Past Medical: Waived
  • Special Damages Claimed - Future Medical: $1,350,000
  • Special Damages Claimed - Past Lost Earnings: None
  • Special Damages Claimed - Future Lost Earnings: None

Demands and Offers

  • Plaintiff §998 Demand: $100,000
  • Plaintiff Final Demand before Trial: $275,000
  • Defendant §998 Offer: $50,001

Additional Notes

In the course of litigation, defendant hired an investigator and conducted several days of surveillance. Defendant did not call an investigator as a witness, but plaintiff played portions of surveillance herself to show questionable methods that were used by the investigator in performing the surveillance, including getting into a tattoo parlor and videotaping both plaintiff and her boyfriend, while her boyfriend was getting a tattoo.