On November 13, 2025, SHK trial attorneys Brian Kim and Maureen Hennessey secured a $5.7 million jury verdict in Santa Monica for a 40-year-old client injured in an auto collision in 2020. The defense minimized the crash as a minor “side swipe,” argued that his neck symptoms resolved within a few months, and claimed a later workplace incident – not the collision – caused his ongoing pain. Workers’ Compensation repeatedly denied recommended cervical spine care, including injections and surgery, which left our client unable to obtain meaningful treatment for years until he sought help outside the system. He ultimately underwent a very successful cervical disc replacement surgery in August 2025, just two months before trial. The defense argued the surgery was unreasonable and unrelated to the crash, but the jury rejected those claims. The jury awarded $5.7 million, which included $2.8 million for future pain and suffering.
