Hakimi v. City of Los Angeles

Summary

A California state court jury delivered a roughly $48.8 million verdict on July 17 in favor of a comatose man who suffered a major traumatic brain injury after being struck by a City of Los Angeles garbage truck.

Plaintiff Kamran Hakimi, 60, was left in a permanent vegetative state after being hit in a pedestrian crosswalk by the turning truck in 2024. The City conceded liability for the accident, and the trial to determine appropriate damages for his injuries took place with zero settlement offers from the defense.

Hakimi's attorneys sought between $65 and $85 million in damages, but the City urged the Los Angeles County jurors to award a more “reasonable” amount, arguing he had a limited chance for any meaningful recovery regardless of the level of care he receives, and that his comatose state was analogous to an anesthetized patient being unaware of pain from a colonoscopy or surgical procedure.

Outcome

$48,792,870.53 awarded to plaintiff