LOS ANGELES, CA – A Los Angeles jury has awarded nearly $28.8 million to a motorcyclist whose leg was amputated after he was struck and run over by a Los Angeles Fire Department vehicle while crossing an East Hollywood intersection in 2021.
Robert Danbom was awarded $28,792,385 following a five-week civil trial that concluded Aug. 13, 2026.
The case is formally identified in city records as Robert Danbom v. LAFD, et al., Los Angeles Superior Court case No. 22STCV28056.
The Los Angeles City Clerk’s official council file shows that the litigation had already been under review by the City Attorney and City Council before the jury returned its verdict. The file remains pending before the Budget and Finance Committee.
Danbom was riding a 2005 Harley-Davidson Roadster northbound on Vermont Avenue on Sept. 2, 2021, approaching Sunset Boulevard.
According to his lawsuit, he entered the intersection on a green light.
At the same time, an LAFD apparatus was traveling westbound on Sunset Boulevard while responding to an emergency call.
Danbom’s attorneys argued that a large building near the intersection obstructed his view of the approaching firetruck, leaving him only seconds to react once the emergency vehicle entered his path.
The fire apparatus weighed approximately 65,000 pounds, according to information presented in the case.
The collision sent Danbom’s motorcycle airborne and caused him to fall beneath the firetruck.
His injuries included a dislocated shoulder and catastrophic trauma to one leg.
The leg was ultimately amputated below the knee.
The civil case centered heavily on what the LAFD apparatus operator did as the firetruck approached the red light at Vermont and Sunset.
Danbom alleged that the truck entered the intersection without first stopping and ensuring that cross traffic had yielded.
His attorneys argued that this violated the department’s own emergency-response safety procedures.
The dispute over whether the truck stopped became one of the central issues at trial.
LAFD Apparatus Operator Vincent Leong said after the collision that he recognized the intersection as having limited visibility and slowed as he approached it.
“This is a blind intersection, so I slowed down,” Leong said in an interview later introduced as evidence at trial. “I started creeping forward. I didn’t see anybody.”
Danbom’s legal team disputed that account.
Attorneys presented surveillance footage that they said showed the fire apparatus continuing through the intersection without making the stop described by Leong.
Los Angeles Fire Department emergency-driving procedures have historically required heightened caution at controlled intersections.
An official City of Los Angeles document quoting the LAFD emergency-response driving policy states that the first apparatus in a convoy must stop at red lights and stop signs, while single-unit companies must likewise stop before proceeding with caution.
The same policy says apparatus operators approaching intersections must be prepared to stop even when they have a green signal.
That requirement reflects the substantial risk created when large emergency vehicles enter intersections against normal traffic controls.
Emergency lights and sirens request the right of way, but they do not eliminate an operator’s obligation to drive with due regard for other motorists.
Danbom’s attorneys argued that surveillance evidence demonstrated that those precautions were not followed before the 2021 crash.
The city contested that version of events during the litigation.
At the time of the collision, the firetruck was responding to an emergency report at a nearby medical facility.
That call was later determined to be a false alarm.
The fact that the underlying emergency turned out to be unfounded did not itself determine liability in the civil case.
The jury instead had to consider how the apparatus was operated while responding and whether the city and its employee were legally responsible for Danbom’s injuries.
The litigation had been active for years.
The City Attorney’s July 2025 report formally asked the Los Angeles City Council to meet in closed session to discuss the pending lawsuit.
A second City Attorney report filed Aug. 13, 2026 again requested confidential discussions with the council regarding the litigation.
That second report was submitted the same day the jury returned its verdict.
City records identify the case as involving Claim No. C22-03014 and show that the matter was circulated to senior City Attorney staff, the Los Angeles Fire Commission and Fire Department leadership.
The public City Attorney documents do not reveal the substance of the closed-session discussions.
They also do not state whether the city intends to appeal the verdict, seek a reduction or pursue another post-trial remedy.
The City Clerk file remained open as of the latest update, with the litigation still listed as pending before the council’s Budget and Finance Committee.
The size of the verdict reflects the long-term effects of Danbom’s injuries.
A below-the-knee amputation can involve continuing medical care, prosthetic replacement, rehabilitation, mobility limitations and changes to a person’s ability to work and carry out daily activities.
The jury’s award encompasses the damages it determined Danbom sustained as a result of the collision.
His attorney, Filippo Marchino, said he believes the verdict is the largest California jury award involving a below-the-knee amputation.
That characterization comes from Danbom’s legal team and has not been independently established by a state agency or court database.
The verdict itself, however, is confirmed at $28,792,385.
The case also highlights the risks involved in emergency vehicle responses through heavily traveled intersections.
LAFD’s Emergency Operations command oversees citywide emergency response across Los Angeles, including fire suppression, emergency medical calls and specialized operations.
The department serves nearly four million people across more than 470 square miles, making emergency apparatus movements through dense urban traffic a routine part of daily operations.
Emergency response depends on quickly reaching incidents, but department driving policies are intended to balance response speed against the safety of motorists, pedestrians, firefighters and other road users.
The Vermont Avenue and Sunset Boulevard collision became a test of that balance.
Danbom’s attorneys argued that the truck’s failure to stop transformed an emergency response into an avoidable crash.
The city defended the conduct of the apparatus operator during the litigation, including the claim that the vehicle slowed and checked the intersection before proceeding.
The jury ultimately sided with Danbom and awarded him nearly $29 million.
The verdict does not necessarily represent the final amount the city will ultimately pay.
Large civil judgments can be challenged through post-trial motions or appeals, and the City Council may also be required to consider litigation strategy or settlement matters in closed session.
As of the most recent City Clerk filing, no public final disposition of the case had been posted following the verdict.
The crash occurred nearly five years before the jury reached its decision.
For Danbom, the consequences have been permanent.
The collision left him with injuries severe enough to require amputation below the knee, while the resulting civil litigation continued through years of court proceedings before reaching a jury.
On Aug. 13, that jury found in his favor and awarded him $28,792,385 in damages.
