On June 8, 2011, at approximately 10:30 a.m., plaintiff Sabine Morelli, 30, a registered nurse, was driving on Ventura Boulevard, in Encino, when she was involved in a rear-end collision with a vehicle operated by Almas Tellis. Morelli claimed to her neck and back. Morelli sued Almas Tellis and the registered owner of Ms. Tellis’ vehicle, Roland Tellis. Morelli alleged that Ms. Tellis was negligent in the operation of her vehicle and that Mr. Tellis was vicariously liable for Ms. Tellis’ actions. Specifically, Morelli alleged that Ms. Tellis was driving inattentively. Ms. Tellis initially claimed that Morelli initiated the accident by rear-ending the vehicle in front of her on Ventura Boulevard, causing her to subsequently rear-end Morelli’s vehicle. However, she ultimately admitted liability for the accident., Morelli was taken by ambulance to a Kaiser Permanente urgent care center where she was diagnosed with soft-tissue strains and sprains of her neck and lower back. A later MRI revealed a disc bulge at L4-5. Morelli subsequently received trigger point injections to her lower back and further treated with roughly four months of chiropractic care. Morelli claimed she still experiences lower back pain and discomfort, which restricts her daily activity. She also claimed she missed roughly 1.5 months of work following the accident. Thus, she sought recovery of $3,264 in past lost earnings and $11,000 in past medical costs. She also sought recovery of damages for her pain and suffering. Defense counsel disputed the nature and extent of Morelli’s alleged and damages. Counsel argued that the impact of the collision was not significant enough to cause any injury. Counsel also argued that Morelli suffered from a pre-existing lower back injury and that Morelli’s treatment and medical bills were excessive.