Mr. Quezada was riding his motorcycle in November of 1998 when he collided with a van operated by Mr. Paiva and owned by Angelica Lutheran Church making a U-turn. Mr. Quezada suffered a hemopneumothorax (air and blood in the chest cavity), nine fractured ribs, a restrictive lung disease, and road rash to his right hand as a result of the accident.  Quezada decided to sue Paiva and the church that owned the van for vehicle negligence. He and his lawyers argued that Paiva made an illegal U-turn and was inattentive to oncoming traffic.  Paiva and the church denied liability and argued that Quezada was negligent for operating his motorcycle at a high speed. The jury ruled in favor of Quezada, awarding him $818,147, including $25,000 for loss of services claimed by his spouse. He was found to be 50% at fault for the accident, however, and the amount was reduced accordingly.