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Accidents happen. That above sentence underscores about as succinctly as possible a fundamental reality attendant to human beings and their interactions with others. A tandem reality is that those accidents often result in devastating — sometimes fatal — injuries to persons who are victimized by the negligence of third parties. Indeed, there is a commonality attached to many personal injuries that befall individuals in Southern California and throughout the rest of the country, namely this: Those injuries are directly caused or centrally contributed to by other persons failing to act in reasonably thoughtful ways. Any such lapse in prudent conduct …

On November 10, 2010, a Los Angeles jury returned a $ 1.735 million verdict against the State of California, holding the State liable for the wrongful death of Francisco Castaneda. Mr. Castaneda was a former State and Federal prisoner, who had his penis amputated and died because the State (and federal officials) denied him a simple biopsy to rule out penile cancer. This verdict was the culmination of almost four years of fighting on behalf of Mr. Castaneda, and his daughter, seventeen year old Vanessa Castaneda. The significance of this case, in part, is evidenced by the fact that it …