Actress Wins $17.3 Million Jury Award From L.A. Clippers Owner Donald Sterling
A Los Angeles jury has ordered Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling to pay $17.3 million to
actress Robyn Cohen to
compensate her for a fire in a West Hollywood apartment. The verdict, which
includes $15 million in punitive damages, was handed down Tuesday.
Magazine Publisher Responds to Tom Cruise's $50M Defamation
Lawsuit 
Sterling owned the building, and Cohen was one of his tenants.
On Sept. 28, 2009, the actress, who has had roles in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou andBurned, heard a noise. She claims she then stopped reading scripts for
the Starz TV series Gravity and
went into the hallway, where she discovered smoke. She called 911.
After the fire, which reportedly was caused by an electrical
problem, Cohen blamed Sterling, accusing him of not having a fully functioning
fire detection system. She sued for breach of contract, breach of the warranty
of habitability and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and she based
part of her alleged damages on the claim that she had suffered a trauma that
had hurt her acting career.
At the trial, Sterling's attorney Guy
Gruppie reportedly expressed his doubts, according to a reporter for CNS
who attended the trial."She is able to work, and she is doing well," Gruppie
said. "The truth is Ms. Cohen's career is thriving."
Cohen has recently starred in episodes of The Closer and NCIS: Los Angeles, but she had a
psychiatrist testify that her post-traumatic stress disorder had developed into
a permanent bipolar condition.Cohen's attorney Melissa Yoon faulted
Sterling, who owns several residential properties throughout Los Angeles as
well as the NBA franchise, for not taking responsibility for faulty smoke
detectors in the building. The residence was one of 130 buildings owned by
Sterling, whose attorney said he had delegated operations to staff.
After the verdict was announced, Cohen's attorney gave this
statement to The Hollywood Reporter: "Today's verdict
sends a clear message that all landlords need to take responsibility for the
safety of their properties and the families who depend on fire alarm systems
working properly. We hope that this verdict motivates all landlords to make
safety the top priority.”