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In a landmark victory for justice, a Los Angeles jury awarded $34 million to Leila Miyamoto-Workman, a mother whose life was turned upside down when a Systems Services of America truck rear-ended her minivan, causing a traumatic brain injury and requiring multiple surgeries. The verdict, secured by Trial Lawyers for Justice, underscores the importance of holding corporations and insurance companies accountable for their negligence.
The accident occurred in 2016 at a Long Beach intersection while Miyamoto-Workman was waiting for left-turn traffic to clear. The impact was severe, leaving her with lasting physical and neurological injuries. However, instead of accepting responsibility, the defense attempted to blame Miyamoto-Workman, alleging that she had caused the accident by making a sudden stop.
The defense further downplayed the severity of her injuries, labeling them as exaggerated and attributing her medical care to attorney-driven influence rather than necessity. But Trial Lawyers for Justice knew the truth and fought tirelessly to expose these baseless claims.
Led by Nicholas Rowley, the legal team took on corporate insurers who, for nearly nine years, refused to settle fairly. The defense even went as far as conducting surveillance on Miyamoto-Workman, trying to discredit her injuries. But Rowley and his team turned this underhanded tactic against them—demonstrating the daily challenges she faced just to manage basic tasks.
“We did something unprecedented. We took the video surveillance and used it to our advantage, showing everything Leila had to go through just to get to the point where she could leave her house a couple of days per week,” said Rowley.
The jury saw through the frivolous defense strategies and recognized the true impact of the crash on Miyamoto-Workman’s life. Their decision awarded her $21 million, with additional augmentations bringing the total to $34 million. The message was clear: corporations and insurers cannot evade responsibility for the harm they cause.
“This was greedy, despicable insurance company behavior,” Rowley emphasized. “It ruined a 34-year-old mother’s life, and they refused to accept responsibility. But justice prevailed.”
This case is more than just a financial victory—it’s a triumph for all personal injury victims fighting against powerful insurance companies that refuse to take accountability. Trial Lawyers for Justice remains committed to ensuring that everyday people receive the justice they deserve, no matter how big or powerful the opposition.
For those facing similar struggles, you are not alone. If you or a loved one has suffered due to corporate negligence, Trial Lawyers for Justice is here to fight for you.
View the entire article at Daily Journal
A Los Angeles County jury has awarded $21.3 million in damages to a woman and her young son who were injured in 2016 when a tractor-trailer owned by a food distribution company slammed into the rear of their fully stopped minivan in Long Beach.
Leila Miyamoto of Long Beach sustained severe head trauma, a traumatic brain injury and chronic pain as a result of the crash, according to her attorneys, Trial Lawyers for Justice.
As a result of the jury verdict Monday, Feb. 10, the defendant, Phoenix-based Systems Services of America Inc., will be required to pay $13.2 million in costs and prejudgment interest, said Nini Wu, a spokesperson for Trial Lawyers for Justice.
The collision occurred July 18, 2016, near the intersection of East Wardlow Road and Elm Avenue in Long Beach.
Daniel Almazan was driving an 18-wheeler for Systems Services of America when he rear-ended the Toyota Sienna driven by 43-year-old Miyamoto. Her son, Jack, who was 9 years old at the time of the crash, was in the back seat.
According to Miyamoto, she had been stopped for about two minutes, waiting for traffic to clear so she could turn left when she was rear-ended by the tractor-trailer.
Miyamoto required the implantation of a spinal cord stimulator and has undergone multiple surgeries, including procedures on her neck, shoulders and lower back. Her attorneys said she also has grappled with significant emotional and psychological distress.
“It took a jury of 12 people out of the community to tell them, ‘You are 100% responsible for this,’ and Leila’s injuries are real,” said John Kawai, an attorney for Miyamoto.
During the trial, Systems Services of America’s attorneys argued Miyamoto’s injuries were less severe than she had claimed.
“The insurance companies involved in this case refused to fairly settle for eight-and-a-half years and threw many frivolous defenses at us,” said Keith Bruno, another attorney representing Miyamoto. “It didn’t work.”
Officials with Systems Services of America could not be reached for comment Tuesday to determine if the company intends to appeal the verdict.
View the entire article at Los Angeles Daily News
A man who suffered unnecessary penis injections has been awarded the biggest ever medical malpractice payout of $412 million.
Jurors had found that fraudulent and negligent conduct by defendants NuMale Medical Center, a men’s heath clinic operating in several states, resulted in irreversible damage to the plaintiff.
The man, now in his 70s, had sought treatment for fatigue and weight loss, but the clinic misdiagnosed him and unnecessarily treated him with “invasive erectile dysfunction,” shots, said attorneys who celebrated Monday’s verdict.
The lawyers said they are hopeful the giant payout will prevent other men from falling victim to a scheme that involved fraud and what they described as dangerous penile injections. They added that the punitive and compensatory damages total the largest amount to ever be awarded by a jury in a medical malpractice case in the U.S.
“It’s a national record-setting case and it’s righteous because I don’t think there’s any place for licensed professionals to be defrauding patients for money. That is a very egregious breach of their fiduciary duty,” said Lori Bencoe, one of the lawyers who represented the plaintiff.
“That’s breach of trust and anytime someone is wearing a white coat, they shouldn’t be allowed to do that.”
Newsweek has reached out to Bencoe Law via email for comment.
NuMale has clinics in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Newsweek has reached out to NuMale medical via email for comment.
The giant award follows a trial held in Albuquerque earlier this month which focused on allegations first outlined in a 2020 lawsuit.
Nick Rowley, one of the attorney’s on the plaintiff’s team said that the medical corporation set up a “fraudulent scheme to make millions off of conning old men.”
The plaintiff in this case was 66 when he visited the clinic in 2017.
Rowley said on social media that clinic workers had told patients they would have irreversible damage if they did not agree to injections three times per week.
Newsweek has reached out to The Rowley Law Firm for comment.
On their website, NuMale advertises multiple treatments for erectile dysfunction, including Trimix injections. Their website states that the injections are “typically compounded in specialized pharmacies, which means they are mixed according to a doctor’s prescription tailored to the needs of the patient
The medication is administered with an injection, where the patient uses a fine needle to inject the medication directly into the base or side of the penis.”
NuMale Medical Center President Brad Palubicki said in a statement sent Wednesday to The Associated Press that the company’s focus is on continuing to deliver responsible patient care while maintaining strict safety and compliance standards at all of its facilities.
“While we respect the judicial process, due to ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot comment on specific details of the case at this time,” he said.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
View the entire article at Newsweek
A man in New Mexico has been awarded the biggest medical payout in history after doctors ‘irreversibly’ damaged his penis.
The patient, who has not been named, was conned into having unnecessary injections into his genitals by a clinic that preyed on elderly men.
He can no longer get an erection and must sit down to urinate because his penis has become enveloped in thick scar tissue.
The victim, who was 66 at the time, had visited NuMale Medical Center in Albuquerque in 2017 seeking treatment for fatigue and weight loss.
According to a lawsuit filed in 2020, the man was coaxed into getting ‘invasive erectile dysfunction shots’ to his penis multiple times per week.
The lawsuit claims the injections caused permanent damage to the man’s penis.
Lawyers representing the plaintiff said: ‘His impotence is permanent and the damage is completely irreversible.’
This week, after a four-year legal battle, the now 72-year-old was awarded $412million in damages, the largest medical malpractice payout from a jury in US history.
The second biggest was in 2006, when former basketball player Allan Navarro was awarded $216.7million after doctors in Florida misdiagnosed his stroke as a headache, leaving him with brain damage.
Lori Bencoe, one of the lawyers who represented the plaintiff, said: ‘It’s a national record-setting case and it’s righteous because I don’t think there’s any place for licensed professionals to be defrauding patients for money. That is a very egregious breach of their fiduciary duty.
Nick Rowley, another attorney representing the man, said on Instagram that the man was sent home with a ‘dangerous chemical’ injected into his penis and was not given an antidote.
It’s unclear which chemicals were used in the injections.
The award follows a trial that took place last month based on the lawsuit filed on behalf of the man in 2020. NuMale did not admit wrongdoing and did not comment on the findings.
Mr Rowley said patients were told that they had to have at least three shots per week or they would suffer irreversible harm.
Brad Palubicki, NuMale Medical Center President, told the Associated Press that the company’s focus is on continuing to deliver responsible patient care while maintaining strict safety and compliance standards at all of its facilities.
He said: ‘While we respect the judicial process, due to ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot comment on specific details of the case at this time.’
NuMale also has clinics in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Nebraska, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
Its Albuquerque clinic specializes in erectile dysfunction and testosterone replacement, as well as weight loss and hair replacement, according to the website.
The company was launched in 2013 and claims to treat over 100,000 patients.
The Albuquerque clinic has an average of 4.4 stars out of 54 Google reviews.
Erectile dysfunction injections are meant to relax muscles in the penis and open up blood vessels, leading to increased blood flow and erections. They typically work within five to 15 minutes.
View the entire article at Daily Mail
“While we respect the judicial process, due to ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot comment on specific details of the case at this time,” he said.
NuMale also has clinics in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Nebraska, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
According to court records, jurors found that fraudulent and negligent conduct by the defendants resulted in damages to the plaintiff. They also found that unconscionable conduct by the defendants violated the Unfair Practices Act.
View the entire article at CNN
The lawyers said their client went through multiple rounds of medication and procedures, and he underwent surgery by an unqualified physician assistant.
In a statement, the attorneys said this unprecedented verdict sends a powerful message that “medical providers cannot prioritize profits over patients’ well-being without being held accountable.”
NuMale Medical Center told KRQE News 13 that they “disagree with the verdict and intent to pursue all available legal remedies, including appeal.”
View the entire article at Albuquerque News