$1.35 Million Verdict in San Diego

[October 3, 2024 - San Diego, CA] A San Diego County jury awarded Maria Teresa Sanchez Bello a $1,348,546 verdict for injuries she suffered in 2022 while she was performing her job as a sanitation worker for the stores at a shopping center on Mira Mesa Boulevard, including the El Pollo Loco restaurant where she was injured. San Diego Trial Attorney Adam Phillips was part of the Morgan & Morgan trial team along with attorneys Tyler Kobylinski, Derrick Connell, and Katherine Smith.

On September 7, 2022, Ms. Bello, 69, was performing her duties at the El Pollo Loco restaurant within the shopping center that she worked for, when a protruding bolt in the ground that had been used to anchor garbage cans caused her to fall. She suffered a severe injury to her hand, which required surgery and continues to interfere with her life years later. Due to her injury, Ms. Bello has not been able to return to work since the incident. During the trial, the defense repeatedly blamed Ms. Bello for the fall, refusing to acknowledge the restaurant’s negligence in leaving the open bolts and sharp rusted metal uncovered.