Court Opinion

ID: 9395094
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-17 02:01:11.064526+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:05.367717
License: Public Domain

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
                               FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

  AUGUST CABRERA et al.,
            Plaintiffs,

                   v.                                            Civil Action No. 19-3835 (JDB)
  ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN,
            Defendant.

  MARK ZAMBON et al.,
            Plaintiffs,

                   v.                                            Civil Action No. 18-2065 (JDB)

  ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN,
            Defendant.

                                                APPENDIX

        This appendix includes the prejudgment interest multipliers calculated by the Court for the

associated plaintiffs and a table specifying each plaintiffs’ award before and after the addition of

prejudgment interest.

        As it did previously in Cabrera v. Islamic Republic of Iran, Civ. A. No. 18-2065 (JDB),

2022 WL 2817730 (D.D.C. July 19, 2022), the Court will use the Federal Reserve’s data for the

average annual prime rate in each year from the date of the respective attacks through 2023. 1 Using

        1
           This data is available on the Federal Reserve’s website. Bd. of Governors of Fed. Reserve Sys., Data
Download          Program,          https://www.federalreserve.gov/datadownload/Download.aspx?rel=H15&series=
8193c94824192497563a23e3787878ec&filetype=spreadsheetml&label=include&layout=seriescolumn&lastObs=50
(last accessed May 9, 2023).
the prime rates for the years from the date of the attack, and discounting for the percentage of the

year elapsed at the time of each attack, yields the following multipliers: 2

                      Associated Direct Victims                         Attack Date          Multiplier

             Benton, Bogar, Brostrom, Garcia, Hovater,               July 13, 2008           1.736093
             Rainey, Zwilling
             Roush                                                   August 16, 2009         1.662423
             Caron                                                   April 11, 2010          1.628083
             Benson, Campbell, Nichols, Pittman, Ratzlaff,           August 6, 2011          1.560786
             Robinson, Spehar, Strange, Vaughn, Vickers
             Darrough, Newman                                        October 29, 2011        1.549263
             Hunter                                                  May 31, 2012            1.520481
             Ellis                                                   June 18, 2013           1.470380
             Zimmerman                                               July 15, 2013           1.466906
             Baldridge, Bays                                         June 10, 2017           1.286767

         Applying those multipliers, the Court concludes that plaintiffs are entitled to the following

amounts as compensatory damages (solatium or pain-and-suffering damages, plus prejudgment

interest):

                 Plaintiff                   Pain and Suffering or           Compensatory Damages Plus
                                               Solatium Damages                  Prejudgment Interest
 Jonathan Richard Colton Benton              $8,000,000                      $13,888,747.50
 Elizabeth Lindsey Benton                    $4,000,000                      $6,944,373.75
 S.J.B.                                      $2,500,000                      $4,340,233.59
 G.S.B.                                      $2,500,000                      $4,340,233.59
 H.S.B.                                      $2,500,000                      $4,340,233.59
 Carlene Renee Cross                         $5,000,000                      $8,680,467.19
 Michael Dean Bogar                          $5,000,000                      $8,680,467.19

         2
           Specifically, the Court calculated these multipliers—using SSG Benton as an example—as follows. First,
the Court multiplied $1.00 by the prime rate in 2008 (5.09%); discounted that amount to reflect that only 46.72% of
the year remained after July 13, 2008; and added that amount to $1.00, for a result of $1.02378. The Court then took
that amount and multiplied it by the prime rate in 2009 (3.25%) and combined that amount with $1.02378, for a result
of $1.057054. The Court continued this iterative process through May 16, 2023, resulting in a total multiplier of
1.736093. Because the attacks relevant to the associated plaintiffs were committed on ten different dates, the Court
repeated this process for each attack date. To approximate the 2023 prime rate, the Court averaged the prime rates for
the past six years—approximately 4.32%—and again discounted the interest to reflect that only a portion of the year
has elapsed as of May 16, 2023. See Cabrera, 2022 WL 2817730, at *55 n.46 (applying same methodology).
                                                          2
Micael D. Gauger              $2,500,000   $4,340,233.59
Carise Renee Martindale       $2,500,000   $4,340,233.59
Mary Josephine Brostrom       $5,000,000   $8,680,467.19
David Brostrom                $5,000,000   $8,680,467.19
Jase David Brostrom           $5,000,000   $8,680,467.19
Blake D. Brostom              $2,500,000   $4,340,233.59
Jeff Caron                    $5,000,000   $8,140,416.10
Karen Caron                   $5,000,000   $8,140,416.10
Cassandra Malene Caron        $2,500,000   $4,070,208.05
Lesly Yohana Garcia           $8,000,000   $13,888,747.50
Maricruz Garcia Velasquez     $5,000,000   $8,680,467.19
Victor Garcia                 $5,000,000   $8,680,467.19
Ramsses Garcia                $2,500,000   $4,340,233.59
Jenna Renae Vanosdale         $8,000,000   $13,888,747.50
Eric M. Hunter                $9,000,000   $13,684,331.43
Kenna Danielle Hunter         $5,000,000   $7,602,406.35
K.H.                          $3,000,000   $4,561,443.81
J.H.                          $3,000,000   $4,561,443.81
Betty Darlene Black           $2,500,000   $3,801,203.17
Joey J. Hunter Sr.            $2,500,000   $3,801,203.17
Joey J. Hunter II             $1,250,000   $1,900,601.59
Nicholas Walter Robinson IV   $1,250,000   $1,900,601.59
Renda Lynn Rainey Riggins     $5,000,000   $8,680,467.19
Christopher Baldridge         $5,000,000   $6,433,836.60
Jessie Baldridge              $5,000,000   $6,433,836.60
E.B.                          $2,500,000   $3,216,918.30
L.B.                          $1,750,000   $2,251,842.81
S.B.                          $1,000,000   $1,286,767.32
Jasmin Bays                   $8,000,000   $10,294,138.57
April Angel Bays              $5,000,000   $6,433,836.60
Timothy Lee Bays              $5,000,000   $6,433,836.60
Brenda Lee Griner             $2,500,000   $3,216,918.30
Lindsay Redoutey              $2,500,000   $3,216,918.30
Robert Charles Darrough       $5,000,000   $7,746,315.77
Judith Sarah Darrough         $5,000,000   $7,746,315.77
Joelle Rene Ellis             $5,000,000   $7,351,900.54
John Fitzgerald Ellis         $5,000,000   $7,351,900.54
James Earl Ellis              $2,500,000   $3,675,950.27
Amanda Jolynn Newman          $8,000,000   $12,394,105.24
                                       3
Donald Edward Newman Sr.     $4,000,000   $6,197,052.62
Michelle Marie Zimmerman     $5,000,000   $7,334,528.94
Chris Lee Zimmerman          $5,000,000   $7,334,528.94
Baily Nichelle Zimmerman     $2,500,000   $3,667,264.47
Beverly Ann Mills            $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
Frederick C. Benson          $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
Cynthia Carol Campbell       $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Mary Roana Hammerbacher-     $8,000,000   $12,486,289.24
Nichols
Cynthia Marie Nichols        $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
Douglas Nichols              $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
Nicole Ann Robles            $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Monte Douglas Nichols        $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Brandon Lee Nichols          $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Ida Belle Pittman            $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
John Terry Pittman Sr.       $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
Andrea Nicole Ratzlaff       $8,000,000   $12,486,289.24
Daniel Mark Robinson         $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
Donna Mae Roush              $5,000,000   $8,312,117.17
Robert Graham Roush Jr.      $5,000,000   $8,312,117.17
Robert Graham Roush III      $2,500,000   $4,156,058.59
Annette Janine Spehar        $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
Patrick R. Spehar            $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
Marie Sentina Mielke         $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Lisa Martinusen              $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Luke Herbert Spehar          $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Jacob Louis Spehar           $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Charles Wesley Strange       $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
Katelyn Marie Strange        $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Charles Wesley Strange III   $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Carly Elizabeth Strange      $2,500,000   $3,901,965.39
Catherine Kimberly Vaughn    $8,000,000   $12,486,289.24
Kryzda
C.C.V.                       $3,000,000   $4,682,358.46
R.C.V.                       $3,000,000   $4,682,358.46
Hortense Kainoa Wainani      $8,000,000   $12,486,289.24
Vickers
K.M.G.V.                     $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
K.N.V.                       $5,000,000   $7,803,930.77
                                      4
 Mary Jane Vickers                $5,000,000       $7,803,930.77
 Robert Martin Kahokulani         $5,000,000       $7,803,930.77
 Vickers Sr.
 Michelle Joy Kapunaheleokalani   $2,500,000       $3,901,965.39
 Yarborough
 Robert Martin Kahokulani         $2,500,000       $3,901,965.39
 Vickers Jr.
 Mark Matthew Kaleinani Vickers   $2,500,000       $3,901,965.39
 Estate of Kurt E. Zwilling       $4,000,000       $6,944,373.75
 Alexander Edward Zwilling        $2,500,000       $4,340,233.59

                                                           /s/
                                                    JOHN D. BATES
                                               United States District Judge

Dated: May 16, 2023

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