On Oct. 21, 2012, plaintiffs Melissa Flesher, 30, and Sarah Sterlace, 30, both graduate students, were riding on a motor scooter on northbound 6th Street in Santa Monica. At approximately 6:15 p.m., their motor scooter fell and slid, impacting the sport utility vehicle that was traveling in front of them. Flesher suffered to her jaw and right hand. Sterlace suffered to her left knee, left leg, head, neck, and lower back. Flesher and Sterlace sued the operator of the SUV, Alyssa Johnson, alleging the defendant was negligent in the operation of her vehicle. Flesher and Sterlace claimed that Johnson’s SUV made a move to the right side of the street without signaling or warning, and then proceeded to abruptly make an illegal U-turn in front of them, causing the collision. Thus, plaintiffs’ counsel contended that Johnson’s illegal U-turn on a residential street was in violation of several Vehicular Codes. Johnson claimed that Flesher and Sterlace were following too closely, thereby causing the accident. She also denied making a U-turn., Flesher and Sterlace were both taken from the scene of the accident by ambulance and brought to an emergency room. Flesher suffered a temporomandibular joint dislocation and a fracture of her right hand. She claimed that as a result of her hand fracture, she now suffers from Raynaud’s disease, a condition that causes part of her hand to sometimes feel cold and numb. Thus, Flesher sought recovery of approximately $3,400 in past medical costs and an unspecified amount of damages for her past and future pain and suffering. In addition, Flesher, who was a graduate student at the time of the accident, claimed that her affected her education. Sterlace suffered lacerations to her left knee and leg, resulting in permanent scarring. She also suffered soft-tissue strains and sprains of her neck and lower back, as well as a head injury. Sterlace further claimed that she suffers from insomnia as a result of the accident. Thus, Sterlace sought recovery of $16,000 in past medical costs; $60,000 in future medical costs, which included a possible scar revision surgery; and an unspecified amount of damages for her pain and suffering. In addition, Sterlace, who was also a graduate student at the time of the accident, claimed that her affected her education.