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Summary
A Colorado state court jury saddled a Berkshire Hathaway-owned insurer with a $145,260 million verdict, including punitive damages, in a lawsuit filed by painter who accused the company of failing to approve treatment for a major traumatic brain injury.
Plaintiff Fermin Salguero-Quijada sued Norguard Insurance Company alleging they acted in bad faith by refusing to pay for specialized inpatient rehab treatment after he fell from a ladder while painting apartment complexes in Utah. His lawsuit alleged that denial of treatment caused his neurological injuries to become permanent, but Norguard maintained throughout the trial they made reasonable coverage determinations based on recommendations from Salguero-Quijada's own worker's comp physician.
Outcome
Verdict for plaintiff.
Total damages: $145.26 million
Including $85.26 million in compensatory damages and $60 million in punitive damages.
- Plaintiff
- Defense
- Verdict
- $145,260,000
- Judge
- Sarah Wallace
- Jurisdiction
- 2nd Judicial District of Colorado
- Court
- Denver County District Court
- Expert Witnesses
Sessions
| Description | Attorney | Witness | Presence | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 00:00:00 | General Case Activities | ||||
| 00:10:31 | Opening Statement | Claggett, Sean | |||
| 01:03:12 | Opening Statement | Morrow, Jonathan | |||
| 01:35:25 | End of Session |
Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.