On March 29, 2009, plaintiff Ronald Sivertsen, a retired man in his late 60s, was southbound on the 405 Freeway in Huntington Beach, when his vehicle was struck by a vehicle operated by Tina Tan. Sivertsen sustained from the accident. Sivertsen sued Tan for motor vehicle negligence, as well as Victoria Nguyen, the owner of Tan’s vehicle, for vicarious liability. Kristin Nguyen was also originally sued as a defendant, as she was thought to have owned Tan’s vehicle, but she was later dismissed when it was discovered that she did not. Sivertsen claimed that Tan rear-ended his vehicle. Tan claimed that Sivertsen sideswiped her vehicle and that a third vehicle caused the accident., Sivertsen was taken by ambulance to a hospital. He sustained a laceration to his scalp, a concussion, a dislocated finger and to his lumbar spine. At the hospital, his scalp laceration was stitched and he was thereafter released. He subsequently had a few sessions of physical therapy for his back and hand. Sivertsen partially recovered from his , but he claimed that his driving and mobility are now limited, and that his memory has been affected. Plaintiff’s counsel noted that the first two years after the incident, Sivertsen could not drive at all, as it was too painful for him to get in and out of the car. Sivertsen used to drive to the park and to the library, but now does not go as often as he used to. Thus, the plaintiff claimed $4,507 in past medical costs for the ER visit and physical therapy.