Plaintiff Alleged Company Destroyed Evidence Following Accident in which a 14-Year-Old Boy was Blinded in One Eye with a Paint Ball Gun
Newport Beach, CA (PRWEB) June 15, 2005 -- Bisnar & Chase, a law firm specializing in complex personal injury cases, announced a $704,663 jury verdict for damages against Southern California Edison for an accident in which a 14-year-old boy was blinded in one eye.
The incident involved a Southern California Edison employee who shot a boy with a paint ball gun while on duty outside the town of Big Creek, located in the Sierra National Forest, about 45 miles from Fresno.
A teenager was blinded, said Brian Chase, a partner with Bisnar & Chase and the lead plaintiffs attorney in the case. For the rest of his life, he has to confront the serious challenges that come with permanent loss of vision in his right eye. The jury understood the gravity of the situation. This is not like a broken arm that will heal with a cast and an apology.
The verdict is notable for the size of the damage award and for the fact that the jury found Southern California Edison was responsible for the actions of its employee, said Chase.
The jury awarded $700,000 to the boy for general damages, including pain and suffering, and $4,663 for medical treatment. The case, Joshua Hild vs. Southern California Edison, was argued in Los Angeles Superior Court and the verdict was reached on April 28, following a five day jury trial.
As a central point, the plaintiffs attorneys alleged that Southern California Edison destroyed key evidence a handwritten account of the incident that had been written by the employee immediately following the accident.
The lawyers for Southern California Edison said they threw the employees statement away and then typed up a more formal statement on her behalf to correct for typo's, said Chase. We argued that this was an effort by the attorneys to clear the company of liability, and I believe the jury was very troubled by this.