Feb. 10, 2026
Sonoma jury hits drug-using driver with $31M verdict
A university employee was catastrophically injured when a driver who acknowledged taking medications and smoking marijuana crossed double yellow lines and struck her vehicle. Jurors found the defendant acted with malice and within the scope of his employment, opening the door to punitive damages and corporate liability.
A Sonoma County jury on Wednesday awarded $31 million to a woman injured in a head-on collision with a driver who admitted to taking multiple medications and smoking marijuana before getting behind the wheel.
The verdict could reach $38 million with statutory interest under Code of Civil Procedure Section 998, according to plaintiff's attorney, Scott R. Montgomery of Abbey, Weitzenberg, Warren & Emery in Santa Rosa. Fleming v. Soiland, SCV-271839, (Sonoma Cty,. Su...
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