Randolph v. Budget Rent-A-Car

878 F. Supp. 162, 95 Daily Journal DAR 3615, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3051, 1995 WL 106135
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedMarch 3, 1995
DocketNo. CV 93-5087-AAH(JGx)
StatusPublished

This text of 878 F. Supp. 162 (Randolph v. Budget Rent-A-Car) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Randolph v. Budget Rent-A-Car, 878 F. Supp. 162, 95 Daily Journal DAR 3615, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3051, 1995 WL 106135 (C.D. Cal. 1995).

Opinion

DECISION AFTER COURT TRIAL, FIXING DAMAGES FOR PERSONAL INJURIES, INCLUDING SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION AND LOSS OF CONSORTIUM

HAUK, Senior District Judge.

This matter came on regularly for Court Trial on January 17, 1995, and continued daily until January 20, 1995, before the Honorable A. Andrew Hauk, United States District Judge. Upon conclusion of this non-jury trial the case was taken under submission for decision.

The Court has heard the testimony, carefully examined all the evidence offered by the respective parties, considered all legal points and authorities, and now, being fully advised in the premises, makes and enters its Decision.

The Trial was a mandatory non-jury trial pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1441(d).1 This [164]*164Court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to Article III § 2 of the United States Constitution2 as implemented by 28 U.S.C. § 1330(a).3

Under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act “foreign states” are immune from the jurisdiction of the United States courts insofar as their non-commercial activities are concerned. 28 U.S.C. § 1602 et seq. Defendant Saudi Arabian Airlines (“Saudia”) is a corporation formed under the laws of Saudia Arabia and is wholly owned and operated by the Government of Saudi Arabia. As such it is a “foreign state” as defined in 28 U.S.C. § 1603(a).4 However, since the action was based upon a commercial activity carried on in the United States by the foreign state, Saudia is not immune from the Court’s jurisdiction. 28 U.S.C. § 1605(a)(2).5

On January 26, 1993, Plaintiff John Randolph was driving his motorcycle westbound on the Pacific Coast Highway (“PCH”) in the right-hand lane. Fahad Abdullah Maghrabi (“Maghrabi”), an employee of Saudia acting in the scope of his employment, was stopped on Corral Canyon waiting to turn left onto the PCH to go eastbound. According to the police report, Maghrabi, while driving a rental car obtained from Automated Transportation, Inc., dba Budget Rent-A-Car, LAX (“Budget”), did not see John Randolph coming, and proceeded into the highway, thereby proximately causing a collision between himself and Randolph. The police report added, that Maghrabi was at fault due to failure to yield to traffic. Defendants have admitted that Fahad Abdullah Maghrabi was negligent and that Plaintiff, John Randolph, was not contributorily negligent. Additionally, Defendants have admitted that Maghrabi was the-permissive user of the car rented from Budget. Based upon these facts the Court ruled prior to trial that as a matter of law Maghrabi was on a permissive mission for his employer Saudia. Further, the Court ruled as a matter of law that Saudia is liable for the injuries and damages proximately caused by Maghrabi’s negligence.

As a proximate result of the accident John Randolph has suffered extensive orthopedic injuries. His left knee has a fractured tibial plateau and a tear of its anterior cruciate ligament; his pelvis was fractured resulting in the separation of his pubic rami; his pelvic region suffered a severe hematoma, resulting in a major rectus muscle injury; and the third and fourth metacarpals of his [165]*165left hand were also fractured. In an effort to alleviate some of the pain John Randolph has been suffering, he must undergo two future surgeries. The first is to remove metal fragments from his left knee; the second is to replace the left knee with an artificial knee implant. Further, it is quite possible that a second knee replacement operation will be needed if the first replacement does not work.

The expert medical evidence was stipulated by both sides to consist of their respective doctors’ reports as direct testimony; and both sides waived their right to cross examination. Upon analysis of these reports, standing as they do uncontradicted by any cross examination, the court necessarily finds that the preponderance of the evidence weighs in favor of the plaintiff John Randolph, who has provided the Court with psychiatric and neurological reports that are more compelling than those of defendant’s doctors. For instance, Dr. Daniel Asimus, plaintiffs psychiatrist/neurologist, has served as plaintiffs doctor for over ten years and makes his medical conclusions that plaintiff has secondary impotence and orgasmia directly related to the accident, based upon his personal examinations of the plaintiff both before and after the accident. By comparison, the defense’s psychiatrist/neurologist, Dr. Irwin Ruben, based his evaluation of plaintiff solely upon one visit with the plaintiff and a review of other doctors’ medical records.

As such, the Court finds that plaintiff has provided the Court with stronger testimony than that offered by the defendants, thereby enabling the Court to reach the reasoned conclusion, based upon the preponderance of the evidence, that John Randolph has suffered for the past two years, and will continue to suffer with diminishing impact but for at least one additional year, traumatic sexual dysfunction, as a direct and proximate result of the accident of January 26, 1993. This sexual dysfunction constitutes a major injury to him in that he is unable to obtain the normal erection or orgasm which he was able to achieve prior to the accident. Further, he and his wife have been unable to engage in normal marital relations for the nearly two .years that he has suffered from the sexual dysfunction. Finally, it is clear that they may never be able to resume a mutually satisfying sexual relationship involving fully normal male erection and penetration.

Obviously, John Randolph’s inability to perform and enjoy normal sexual intercourse, effects a palpable and tangible injury upon his wife, Johanne Randolph, which has prohibited her from enjoying conjugal fellowship and relationship with him for the past two years and will prohibit such fellowship for at least one additional year.

Now, having found the facts of the traumatic sexual dysfunction syndrome and injury suffered by John Randolph, and having concluded that as a matter of law Plaintiff John Randolph has indeed suffered from the injury of sexual dysfunction, including secondary impotence and orgasmia, it becomes the duty of this trial court to fix and determine the extent of these injuries in terms of dollar damages.

The Court has considered, in this connection, all of the evidence offered by Plaintiffs and Defendants, and the expert as well as non-expert testimony in making the findings of fact and the Court’s conclusions as to the amount of damages set forth hereafter.

Moreover, the Court has conducted a determined and diligent search of the law, particularly decisions and judgments rendered in the courts both state and federal, where these courts have evaluated and fixed the monetary damages of traumatic sexual dysfunction and injury.

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Bluebook (online)
878 F. Supp. 162, 95 Daily Journal DAR 3615, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3051, 1995 WL 106135, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/randolph-v-budget-rent-a-car-cacd-1995.