California Appellate Tracker

Trial court did not abuse its discretion by allowing a local governmental entity to pay a $17 million judgment against it in up to 10 annual installments, since the entity presented evidence that paying the judgment in a lump sum would constitute an "unreasonable hardship."  Read More

An execution sale following a judgment is absolute and cannot be set aside for any reason, not even on grounds of extrinsic fraud.  Read More

A defendant may tender the amount it estimates the plaintiff is entitled to under the Automobile Sales Finance Act without admitting liability, and may recover the tendered sum plus costs and attorney fees if the plaintiff recovers less at trial.  Read More

In an eminent domain proceeding, once the defendant owner proves it has goodwill to lose, it may use any reasonable method to prove the amount of goodwill lost due to condemnation of its real property.  Read More

Debtor who failed to appeal within the 14-day bankruptcy appeal deadline from an order denying his third motion to reconsider denial of motion for sanctions for violation of the automatic stay, could not cure the untimeliness of the appeal by use of a petition for writ of mandate.  Read More

In an insurance bad faith case, the trial court properly remitted punitive damages from the $19 million awarded by the jury to $475,000, which was ten times the actual damages awarded.  Read More

Insurers owe emergency service providers a duty of care not to delegate responsibility to pay for emergency services to a medical provider that the insurer knows or should know is insolvent and unable to pay the providers' claims.  Read More

Trial court correctly refused to compel arbitration of this suit which the plaintiff employee brought solely under PAGA (the Private Attorneys General Act of 2004), since even if a PAGA claim may be brought on an individual basis, it is still a claim by the state, not by the private attorney general, and so cannot be governed by a private… Read More

The three-month deadline for filing a motion to vacate an arbitration award may be tolled by delayed discovery of an arbitrator’s deliberate and material deception as to his credentials.  Read More

Former city parks employee claimed he was fired for opposing discriminatory practices against disabled citizens who used the parks, but he could not state a cause of action based on the California Fair Housing & Employment Act since that statute does not protect employees against retaliation for opposing discriminatory practices against non-employee customers or clients. Read More

Triable issues of fact existed on plaintiff’s disability discrimination claim after she was fired for tardiness due to recurrent doctor appointments and medical problems which resulted from what turned out to be a benign tumor.  Read More

Despite denial of an attorney at initial investigation interview for excessive force complaint, police officer could not state a claim based on the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act since he retained his prior employment at his same salary and thus suffered no adverse employment action.  Read More

A plaintiff cannot state claims against a payroll processor for violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act or Labor Code sections requiring payment of minimum wages since the payroll processor is not actually the plaintiff's employer.  Read More

The Workers Compensation Act did not preempt plaintiff's claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress caused by her co-workers who staged a mock robbery at her cashier's window, since the Act does not preempt intentional torts that are not part of the compensation bargain.  Read More

Even before completing the internal peer review process under Business & Professions Code 805-809.7, a doctor may bring a whistleblower action under Health & Safety Code 1278.5, which protects whistleblowers who report to authorities suspected unsafe patient care and conditions.  Read More

When a claim alleges no conduct by the moving defendant, it cannot arise from that defendant's protected conduct and so cannot be attacked by an Anti-SLAPP motion to strike.  Read More

Trial court properly concluded that decedent’s action in quit-claiming a one-third interest in a parcel of real property to defendant prior to her death could be construed consistently with her will, which disposed of all property owned by her probate estate at the time of her death.  Read More

An initial motion for relief from default due to attorney fault is not considered a motion for reconsideration, so it need not show new law or facts which are ordinarily needed to support a motion for reconsideration.  Read More

If all existing named parties consent to magistrate judge jurisdiction, the magistrate judge may rule on a motion to intervene even if the prospective intervenor does not consent.  Read More

In a suit by a California resident against a Texas company that refurbished cellphones, the state of California lacked personal jurisdiction over the defendant because, although the Texas company was owned by a California corporation with overlapping executive personnel, there was insufficient evidence that the Texas company was the California parent's agent or that it purposefully directed its injurious activities… Read More