$16.7 Million San Diego DUI Verdict in Castro-Gonzalez v. Cazarez

On the night of September 28, 2019, Felipa Cazarez drove her vehicle into a pickup truck that was parked in a residential driveway in San Diego County. Martin Castro-Gonzalez, then 61 years old, was standing beside that truck and leaning against it. He was not inside any car. The force of the crash threw him to the ground.

The fall caused spinal injuries that left Castro-Gonzalez paraplegic, without the use of his legs, after a collision he had no role in causing. A routine moment in a driveway became a permanent, life-altering injury.

Castro-Gonzalez brought a civil suit against Cazarez. He was represented by the Dolan Law Firm, PC, with attorneys Christopher B. Dolan and Cioffi C. Remmer handling the case. The lawsuit alleged that Cazarez had been driving under the influence of alcohol when she lost control of her vehicle and struck the parked truck. Because the claim involved drunk driving, it also sought punitive damages, the category of award California reserves for conduct that shows a conscious disregard for the safety of others.

Trial began in San Diego County Superior Court on December 5, 2022. Over five days, the firm presented its case tying Cazarez's intoxication to the crash and to the paraplegia that followed. The jury was asked to decide both the compensation owed for the injuries and whether Cazarez's conduct warranted punishment.

On December 9, 2022, the jury answered both questions. It returned a verdict of $16,702,050 in favor of Castro-Gonzalez and included a finding of punitive damages against Cazarez. The punitive finding reflected the jury's conclusion that driving drunk and crashing into a man standing in a driveway was more than ordinary carelessness.

TopVerdict later listed the award among the number one verdicts reported in California for 2022. The verdict stands as the jury entered it, with no reduction or remittitur reported in the case.