Central Valley Towing, Inc. ("CVT") was defended by Brian H. Buddell in a car versus tow truck collision on "J" Street in Sacramento, California. The plaintiff, a 31-year old hospital maintenance worker alleged mid/lower back injuries in the accident. Plaintiff also claimed to suffer from chronic pain which would disable him from gainful employment for the remainder of his life. In a seven-week trial, plaintiff was represented by nationally-renowned plaintiff's attorney, J. Gary Gwilliam, who asked the jury to award $21.3 million in total damages. After three days of deliberations, the jury returned a verdict of $48,000. However, because plaintiff rejected a pre-trial offer from CVT in excess of $500,000, CVT was awarded costs and fees in excess of $100,000-which converted the verdict to a net defense verdict of $77,000. Mr. Buddell successfully defended the verdict upon appeal to both the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court.