$3.375 Million Jury Verdict for Motorcyclist Struck on I-405 Carpool Lane

In October 2015, Michael Orrin Jr. was traveling west on the I-405 in Los Angeles County when a vehicle veered across the double yellow lines separating traffic lanes and collided with his motorcycle in the carpool lane. The impact was severe.

Orrin suffered devastating injuries to his lower leg. His tibia and fibula fractured, and his Achilles tendon was torn. According to case records, the leg was left hanging by skin and soft tissue, requiring multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. Physicians anticipated that Orrin would live with permanent chronic pain as a result.

The driver's insurer made an early offer of $350,000, the approximate policy limit available at the time, and disputed the degree of liability. Colin M. Jones of Wilshire Law Firm, who served as lead trial attorney, rejected that figure and took the case to trial. Verdict records list Bobby Saadian of Wilshire Law Firm and Jesse B. Chrisp of the Law Offices of J. Chrisp as additional counsel of record.

The trial team retained accident reconstruction experts and used courtroom animation technology to demonstrate exactly how the defendant's vehicle crossed the double yellow lines. Jones argued in closing that the defendant broke the law by crossing those lines and bore full responsibility for the injuries that followed.

On August 6, 2019, the Los Angeles County jury returned a verdict of $3,375,205 in Orrin's favor. The verdict ranked 13th among the top 20 motor vehicle verdicts in Los Angeles County for 2019, as reported by TopVerdict.com. After the addition of costs and accrued interest, Wilshire Law Firm reported the total recovery exceeded $4.375 million.

No post-trial reduction or appeal has been reported in connection with the verdict.