The city of Los Angeles must pay nearly $50 million to a man who has been in a coma since he was hit by a sanitation truck while crossing a street in Encino, a jury decided Thursday.<\/p>\n
Kamran Hakimi, now 61, was in a crosswalk at Hayvenhurst Avenue and Ventura Boulevard last August when the sanitation truck struck him. Hakimi had a green light, and the driver made an \u201cunsafe right turn,\u201d according to Hakimi\u2019s attorneys. <\/p>\n
A handlebar on the front of the truck hit Hakimi\u2019s head and flung him to the asphalt, where he hit his head, the attorneys said. Hakimi briefly stood and flashed a thumbs up before losing consciousness. <\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Hakimi\u2019s life, and the lives of his family, are forever changed due to the negligence of a City of Los Angeles employee,\u201d said Rahul Ravipudi, one of Hakimi\u2019s attorneys. \u201cThis verdict upholds the dignity of the life Mr. Hakimi enjoyed before this tragedy and we are grateful to the jury who carefully considered all the evidence and provided Mr. Hakimi with the means necessary to get the higher level of care he so desperately needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hakimi is a father of five and worked in real estate before the crash. In October, his attorneys filed a lawsuit against the city in Los Angeles Superior Court.<\/p>\n
The city admitted that the driver failed to yield to Hakimi, according to Hakimi\u2019s attorneys. But at trial, the city \u201cdisputed the damages suffered by Mr. Hakimi, arguing that his life expectancy was limited and that the value of his non-economic damages, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life, was minimized because he was in a comatose state,\u201d Hakimi\u2019s attorneys said. <\/p>\n
The jury ordered the city to pay Hakimi $48.8 million, including $25 million for future pain and suffering and $10 million for future medical expenses.<\/p>\n