Calva-Cerqueira v. United States
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
281 F. Supp. 2d 279 (2003)
Calva-Cerqueira (plaintiff), an 18-year-old preparing for college with strong athletic promise, suffered paralysis and severe mental disability when a government-operated bus negligently struck his vehicle; he sued the United States (defendant) under the FTCA for $20,000,000 in compensatory damages, presenting expert testimony on pain and suffering, medical costs, and lost future wages, and the government challenged the requested amounts.
Whether compensatory damages in a personal-injury case must be calculated to make the plaintiff whole, based on substantial evidence rather than speculation, and whether such damages may include amounts written off by health-care providers.