A Northern California jury has awarded Kyle Anderson, a 26-year-old construction worker, $56.5 million after determining that the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) was 100% liable for causing his severe brain injury resulting in quadriplegia at a road construction site.
Six years ago, Kyle Anderson was performing road construction work in the shoulder of Broadway/US 101 when he was suddenly struck by an oncoming motorist.
During a civil jury trial spanning two and a half months in the court of Judge Dale Reinholtsen, jurors found that Caltrans created a dangerous condition when they denied a request for a lane closure, removed a backhoe that functioned as a barrier vehicle, and adjusted a work light tower in a way that caused a blinding glare to oncoming drivers.
Anderson was represented by Russell Reiner, a trial attorney at the firm Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP in Redding, California.
“Following this tragic event, Caltrans closed their file within seven hours, never held safety meetings for lessons learned, and no one from Caltrans was reprimanded for their actions,” said Reiner.
The verdict represents the largest award for a dangerous condition case in California history. The family of Kyle Anderson can now provide the care that he deserves.