Los Angeles Jury Awards $28.8 Million to Motorcyclist Who Lost Leg in LAFD Firetruck Crash

A Los Angeles jury has awarded $28.8 million to a motorcyclist whose leg was amputated below the knee after an LAFD firetruck entered an East Hollywood intersection against a red light and struck him.

The jury returned its verdict Aug. 13 after a five-week trial in a lawsuit brought by Robert Danbom against the City of Los Angeles and a Los Angeles Fire Department apparatus operator. Danbom was riding his Harley-Davidson north on Vermont Avenue on Sept. 2, 2021, when the firetruck entered the intersection at Sunset Boulevard. Danbom had a green light.

The collision left Danbom with a dislocated shoulder and severe injuries to his leg, which was later amputated below the knee. Jurors awarded him $28,792,385 in damages.

Danbom’s attorney, Filippo Marchino of X-Law Group, said he believes the award is the largest California verdict involving a below-the-knee amputation.

The trial focused in part on what happened as the 65,000-pound LAFD vehicle approached Sunset and Vermont, including whether its driver stopped before entering the intersection and whether the truck was operated safely while responding to an emergency call.

LAFD apparatus operator Vincent Leong said in an interview after the crash that visibility at the intersection was limited and that he stopped, checked for approaching traffic, and then began moving forward.

Danbom’s attorneys disputed that account. Surveillance video presented at trial showed the firetruck moving into the intersection without stopping.

Jurors were also shown an LAFD driver manual stating that the first fire apparatus in a convoy must stop at red lights and stop signs. Danbom alleged that the truck failed to follow department safety procedures before entering the busy intersection.

According to the lawsuit, a building near the intersection limited Danbom’s view of the approaching vehicle. He maintained that he had only seconds to react when the firetruck appeared in his path. His motorcycle was thrown in the collision, and Danbom fell beneath the truck’s wheels.

The LAFD vehicle was responding to a reported emergency at a nearby Kaiser Permanente medical facility. The call was later determined to be a false alarm, but that did not necessarily change the legal status of the response because firefighters were acting on what they understood to be an emergency at the time.

California law gives emergency vehicles responding to calls special traffic privileges. Fire trucks, police cars, and other authorized emergency vehicles can disregard certain rules that ordinary motorists must follow, including traffic signals, speed restrictions, and right-of-way requirements, when the legal conditions for an emergency response are met.

Those privileges have limits. State law still requires an emergency vehicle to be operated with due regard for the safety of other people on the road.

That distinction was central to Danbom’s case. The issue was not simply whether the LAFD truck was legally allowed to proceed against a red light. Jurors could also consider how it entered the intersection, limited visibility, surrounding traffic, and the safety procedures governing the response.

An internal department rule does not by itself establish civil liability. Evidence that a driver failed to follow department safety procedures, however, can be relevant when jurors consider whether a vehicle was operated with reasonable care under the circumstances.

California law also allows a public agency to be held responsible for injuries caused by the negligent operation of a government vehicle by an employee acting within the scope of employment. The firetruck’s emergency response therefore did not automatically prevent Danbom from pursuing damages from the city.

Los Angeles Superior Court records identify the lawsuit as Robert Danbom v. LAFD, et al., Case No. 22STCV28056. City records show the litigation had previously been discussed by the Los Angeles City Council and its Budget and Finance Committee in closed session.

The $28.8 million award reflects damages associated with Danbom’s injuries. In an amputation case, a jury can consider medical expenses, future treatment and prosthetic care, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the long-term effects of a permanent disability.

Publicly available reports do not provide a complete breakdown of how jurors divided the award among the different categories of damages.

Marchino said the case could have settled for substantially less than the jury ultimately awarded and criticized the city attorney’s handling of settlement discussions.

The Los Angeles Fire Department and City Attorney’s Office did not respond to requests for comment following the verdict.

The Aug. 13 verdict awarded Danbom $28,792,385 for injuries stemming from the 2021 East Hollywood collision, nearly five years after the LAFD firetruck entered the intersection against the red light.