Latest jury verdicts, settlements, and legal outcome analysis
A federal jury found Northwest Arkansas Hospitals liable for sex discrimination against surgical technician Efrin Chavez after doctors restricted his participation in certain labor and delivery procedures. The jury awarded Chavez $5,000 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages.
A federal jury in Portland found that Nike paid former engineer Heather Hender less than male employees and promoted her more slowly because of her sex. The jury awarded $19,739.52 under the Federal Equal Pay Act, plus $7.5 million in Title VII punitive damages and $7.5 million under Oregon law.
A Massachusetts federal jury awarded $88 million to an Alabama man and his wife over a Symbotex hernia mesh implant. The jury found Covidien liable for negligent failure to warn, an innocent false statement, and concealment.
A jury in Porter Superior Court awarded $18,500,000 to Brian Mischka after a breaker bar struck his foot during a steel loading operation at Steel Warehouse of Burns Harbor, LLC. The jury assigned 0% fault to Brian and 100% fault to Steel Warehouse. Wendy Mischka received $800,000 on her loss of consortium claim.
Nora Garcia won a $3,773,873 jury verdict after a Los Angeles County jury found PCL Construction Services, Inc. negligent. The case arose from a 2024 trip and fall at Orange High School in Orange, California. Jurors assigned PCL 65% of the responsibility for her harm.
A federal jury in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee found Ryan Upchurch liable to David Robertson and Daniel Rodni for defamation per se and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The jury awarded $17.5 million in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages. Upchurch later sought judgment as a matter of law, a new trial, or remittitur.
A West Virginia federal jury awarded $5 million to Marietta Area Healthcare, Marietta Memorial Hospital, and Marietta Healthcare Physicians. The jury found Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital Corporation liable for civil conspiracy and vicarious liability tied to a qui tam action.
A Plymouth Superior Court jury awarded Josephine and Keith Beadling a total of $530,000 after finding G. Lopes Construction, Inc. and Bette Maki liable on negligence and nuisance claims. The jury also found G. Lopes Construction liable for negligent trespass.
Levi Estates, LLC obtained a jury verdict against Kassahun Nigusa and Iman El Gaddari in a Los Angeles unlawful detainer case. The jury found that the Defendants failed to pay rent, that Levi Estates properly served the three-day notice, and that the Defendants did not cure the nonpayment. The jury awarded $72,000 in past-due rent and $33,000 in holdover damages. The Court awarded possession of the property.
The legal dispute between Christina Shields and Deanie Caffey concluded in April 2026 following a jury trial in the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino. The lawsuit arose from an incident on January 25, 2023, at a rental property in Lucerne Valley, where Shields alleged that Caffey arrived unannounced to discuss the parties' rental agreement and subsequently assaulted her, causing physical injuries and emotional distress. Shields asserted claims for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. However, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Caffey, finding that she was not negligent, did not touch Shields with the intent to harm or offend her, and did not engage in conduct that was outrageous. The court later entered judgment in Caffey's favor on all claims.
