On July 14, 2010, at around 6:25 p.m., plaintiff Christie Lafitte, 38, a makeup artist, was driving south on San Vicente Boulevard, approaching the intersection with 3rd Street in Los Angeles, when she reached a complete stop behind several other vehicles. While stopped, she was rear-ended by another vehicle. Lafitte claimed neck and back . Lafitte brought a suit against the driver of the vehicle, alleging he was negligent in the operation of his vehicle. Lafitte contended that the driver got ahead of himself and attempted to proceed as soon as the light turned green, causing him to strike her vehicle unexpectedly and without warning while she remained stopped. The defendant driver claimed that the light had turned green and that Lafitte had proceeded forward, but that Lafitte then stopped short as she reached over to answer her phone., Lafitte immediately went to an emergency room after the collision. She claimed neck and back , and was diagnosed with a concussion. Lafitte subsequently underwent lumbar epidural facet injections. A subsequent MRI revealed a bulging lumbar disc. Three years after the accident, Lafitte claimed she still has severe, chronic complaints of unrelenting lower back pain, which interfered in all of her daily living activities. She claimed that as a result, she will require surgery. Plaintiff’s counsel contended that Lafitte’s vehicle sustained $951.13 worth of property damage. Thus, Lafitte sought recovery of $37,000 in medical expenses and an unspecified amount of damages for her pain and suffering. Defense counsel contended the collision occurred at less than 5 mph. Thus, counsel asserted that the minor impact could not have caused Lafitte any injury.