County Found Liable for Sidewalk Crash; Norwalk Man Awarded $13.9M

NORWALK, CA - A jury ordered Los Angeles County to pay $13.9 million to a man who was seriously injured when he was struck by a car while walking on a sidewalk in Norwalk three years ago.

The Long Beach Superior Court panel reached its verdict Wednesday in a lawsuit filed in July 2013 by Jake Newland.

According to the lawsuit, Newland was walking on a sidewalk along Norwalk Boulevard about 3:20 p.m. Feb. 28, 2013, when a Los Angeles County deputy public defender, Donald Rush Prigo, failed to yield to oncoming traffic while attempting to make a left turn into a shopping center.

Prigo's car collided with a Honda Civic, which in turn struck 19-year- old Newland from behind at about 40 mph, forcing him into a brick wall, according to the plaintiff's attorneys.

Newland suffered extensive injuries including head trauma and multiple fractures of his ribs and spine. He was hospitalized for 17 days, including nine days in the intensive care unit.

In the first phase of trial in March, a jury found that Los Angeles County was liable for Prigo's negligence, Newland's attorneys said. In the second phase of the trial, lawyers for Los Angeles County argued the driver of the Honda was to blame for the accident despite Prigo's admission that he was responsible for the crash, according to Newland's attorneys.

The defense lawyers also argued that Newland's injuries were not significant and that he had made a complete recovery, according to Newland's attorneys.

The jury found that Prigo and his employer were 100 percent responsible for the collision. The $13.9 million award includes $122,355 in past medical expenses, $770,055 in future medical expenses, $545,222 in future lost earnings, $3.2 million in past pain and suffering and $9.2 million in future pain and suffering.

Defense attorneys offered to settle the case before trial for $110,000, according to Newland's attorneys.

--City News Service, photo via Shutterstock