On Feb. 6, 2011, at approximately noon time, plaintiff William Brannigan, a banker in his 40s, was driving on Barranca Parkway in Irvine when he stopped at the intersection with Culver Drive. As the light turned green, Brannigan was rear-ended by a vehicle operated by Sudabeh Zamanian. Brannigan claimed the accident injured his lower back. Brannigan sued Ms. Zamanian and her husband, Ali Zamanian, as an owner of the vehicle. He alleged that Ms. Zamanian was negligent in the operation of her vehicle and that Mr. Zamanian was vicariously liable for his wife’s actions. However, Mr. Zamanian was dismissed from the case early in the proceedings. Ms. Zamanian admitted liability for the accident, and the matter proceeded to a trial on causation and damages., On the day following the accident, Brannigan presented to his primary care physician with complaints of lower back pain. He was subsequently diagnosed with soft-tissue strains and sprains, causing pain to radiate down to his left thigh. Brannigan underwent two initial sessions of physical therapy, and later received two months of chiropractic care. Brannigan claimed he fully healed from his injury and does not need future treatment. However, he claimed he missed some work for doctor appointments during his recovery. Thus, Brannigan claimed roughly $3,500 in past medical costs, and sought recovery of damages for his past pain and suffering. Defense counsel argued that Brannigan sustained no serious injury from the low-impact collision. Counsel contended that there was a gap in treatment, since Brannigan did not start chiropractic care until over one month after the accident.