Haroun Mehdipour Awarded $2.653 Million by Jury in Negligence Lawsuit against Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus

Business Wire, March 11, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- A unanimous Los Angeles Superior Court/West Los Angeles Division jury, after one day of deliberation, found the City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus negligent and awarded Haroun Mehdipour $2.653 million in general damages and found, the plantiff comparatively twenty-five percent at fault. Haroun Mehdipour lost his left arm and suffered traumatic brain injury when he was struck by a Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus while attempting to board it on May 5, 2004. Haroun vs. City of Santa Monica, Case No. SC083537.

The trial began on February 21, 2006 and the case went to the jury on March 9, 2006. The matter was heard before the Hon. John L. Segal in Department C of the West Los Angeles Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Haroun Mehdipour and his wife, Parvin Mehdipour, were represented by Browne Greene and Geoffrey S. Wells with the Santa Monica, CA. law firm of Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP. Co-counsel in the case were Shawn Azizzadeh and Michael Ross with the Beverly Hills, CA law firm of Azizzadeh & Ross.

"The jury found that the Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus driver violated the very rules and regulations designed to protect the public's safety," stated Browne Greene. "Had the driver obeyed them, Mr. Mehdipour would never have been harmed. Sadly, the City of Santa Monica resisted accountability and put the Mehdipour family through a long trial in which its own accident reconstruction expert testified that it was the tire tread from a 29,000 pound bus and not any other vehicle that caused Haroun's injuries. Fortunately for the Mehdipours, the jury used its common sense and justice was served by holding Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus responsible for robbing Haroun Mehdipour of his well-earned golden years."

"This was an entirely preventable accident had the bus driver double-checked his mirror before pulling away from the curb," explained Geoffrey S. Wells, "But, he did not and his failure to comply with Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus' company rules set in motion the events which left Haroun Mehdipour a shell of his former self. The jury saw through Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus 'blame game' and correctly pinned responsibility for this tragedy where it belonged. The jury's verdict was fair, and we hope it sends a message to everyone involved in the public transportation industry to ramp up their driver training and safety programs so that no other family has to suffer as the Mehdipours will all the rest of their lives."

On May 5, 2004, Mr. Mehdipour, then age 79 and now age 81, was attempting to board a Big Blue Bus at the corner of Barrington and Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA. Mr. Mehdipour was walking on the sidewalk along side the bus, clearly in view of the driver's mirror. He was touching the bus and trying to get the driver's attention as he walked toward the front door. Rather than wait, the Big Blue Bus driver closed the front door before Mr. Mehdipour could enter and drove off, running over Mr. Mehdipour and causing him serious injuries, including the degloving of his left arm (which subsequently had to be amputated) and a traumatic brain injury.

On November 18, 2004, Haroun Mehdipour filed a civil complaint for damages against The City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus for negligence, negligent hiring, and negligent supervision, among other claims. He alleged that the City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus were negligent in the hiring and supervision of its bus driver employee and are thus responsible for the events which caused his horrific injuries.

Editor's Note:

Plaintiffs Haroun and Parvin Mehdipour were represented by Browne Greene and Geoffrey S. Wells with the Santa Monica, CA law firm of Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP (www.greene-broillet.com); Tel: 310.576.1200. Co-counsel in the case was Shawn Azizzadeh and Michael Ross with the Beverly Hills, CA law firm of Azizzadeh & Ross.

Defendants were represented by Lance S. Gams, Deputy City Attorney with the Santa Monica City Attorney's Office; Tel: 310.458.8336.