Chapelle News

Los Angeles Jury Awards Motorcyclist $28 Million After Firetruck Crash in East Hollywood That Led to Below-The-Knee Amputation

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles jury has awarded $28 million to Robert Danbom, a motorcyclist whose leg was crushed after a city firetruck struck him in East Hollywood in 2021. The case centered on a collision at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vermont Avenue, where Danbom said he had the right of way and little time to avoid impact.

The verdict, reached Aug. 13, is being described by the attorney for Danbom as the largest California jury award in a case involving a below-the-knee amputation. Danbom’s lawsuit said he was hit by a 65,000-pound fire truck while riding north on Vermont Avenue on Sept. 2, 2021, and that the crash left him with a dislocated shoulder and a severely damaged leg that was later amputated below the knee.

Trial Evidence

At trial, Danbom’s lawyer, Filippo Marchino of X-Law Group, said the city firetruck failed to follow basic safety rules before entering a busy intersection. Marchino pointed to video that he said showed the truck moving through the crossing without stopping, even though the firefighters’ driver manual states that the first vehicle in a convoy must stop at red lights and stop signs.

The attorney also said the defense never seriously engaged in settlement talks before trial. He said he would have accepted half of the jury’s award and argued that the city’s legal team allowed the case to reach a far larger verdict than necessary. The Los Angeles Fire Department and the city attorney’s office did not respond to requests for comment, leaving the city’s immediate response to the verdict unclear.

What Happened

According to the lawsuit and trial evidence, Danbom was traveling northbound on Vermont Avenue with a green light when the firetruck entered from westbound Sunset Boulevard. He said the truck appeared suddenly in his path, giving him only seconds to react before the crash. His Harley-Davidson was thrown in the collision, and he fell under the truck’s wheels.

A transcript of an interview from the scene was also presented at trial. In that account, LAFD Apparatus Operator Vincent Leong said the truck stopped at the intersection, checked for traffic and then eased forward because it was a blind crossing. He said he did not see anyone approaching before proceeding. The competing accounts were left for the jury to weigh, along with video from the scene and the department’s own driving guidance.

What Comes Next

The size of the award adds to a growing list of expensive judgments and settlements against the city of Los Angeles, which has seen annual payouts rise sharply over the past decade. The city’s spending on settlements and verdicts has climbed from about $64 million roughly 10 years ago to $289 million last year, according to figures cited in the story. Officials have tied some of the increase to a backlog of cases after the pandemic and to difficult jury dynamics.

The fire department and the city attorney’s office have not publicly answered questions about the verdict. Readers looking for any post-trial filings or further statements would need to follow the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles Fire Department and the court handling the case. Marchino said the award may be the largest California verdict tied to a below-the-knee amputation, though that characterization was offered by the plaintiffs’ side.

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