30 year-old professional dancer, Irina, was driving her 2005 Acura RSX, a small two door sedan. As she slowed down for traffic, Defendant crashed into her car. The impact pushed her car into the car in front. A double impact. Irina was on her way to a theater performance she was choreographing.

Irina claimed the Defendant was distracted while talking on his cell telephone, failing to brake to prevent the accident.

Defendant admitted fault but claimed she suffered only sprains which should have been resolved in 6 months. Defendant claimed Irina was very active on social media, posting videos of herself dancing and traveling within months of the accident.

Irina’s chiropractor and neurologist testified she suffered a L/L5 board based disc protrusion at 4 mm effacing the anterior thecal sac. She underwent intra-articular faced joint injection.

Defendant hired a private investigator who conducted several days of surveillance. Irina’s attorneys turned the table and showed that the private investigator was interfering with her privacy.

Irina demanded policy limits of $100,000. Defendant’s final offer was $50,001.

The jury gave Irina an award of $220,000.

Judge Daniel Nishigaya, Santa Clara Superior Court 21CV381929.

March 7, 2024

PRO TIPS

• Defendants often go overboard when trying a case against a PI victim.
• Secretly following a young professional dancer is PHD dumb. That one move destroyed Defendant's evidence and credibility. 

Melanie Mora is proposing a class action suit against the chiropractor, the landlord and the holding company.

She alleges on July 16, 2024, that concealed cameras were installed in both the men’s and women’s restroom, and ‘strategically placed to record patients using the restroom, capturing intimate and private moments” without their knowledge.

A camera was found in 2023 and the doctor was later arrested for videotaping inside a room. The proposed class would include all patients who were secretly recorded using the restrooms in the chiropractic office in the last four years.