$2.75m Verdict in Multi-Vehicle Crash
A thoughtless driver stopped in the middle of an interstate so that he could make an illegal U-turn across a grass median. This forced everyone behind him to react to his unexpected maneuver. Some attempted to swerve. Some slammed on their brakes. One of those vehicles was being driven by a Sheriff’s Deputy returning home from training. He was able to stop, but the commercial vehicle behind him could not. That vehicle slammed into the back of his government-issued Suburban, and split it apart like a can-opener.
The commercial vehicle settled with our client, but the insurance company for the stopping driver refused. In fact, even after our client had multiple back surgeries and was struggling to continue working in law enforcement, the insurance company’s highest offer was $25,000. They forced us to try the case before a Columbus, Georgia, jury, and so we did.
The jury returned a verdict that recognized the suffering endured by our client; not only his physical suffering, but his emotional suffering as well. The jury’s verdict was more than 111x higher than what the insurance company claimed it would be. Our client’s courage in the face of the insurance company’s bullying was inspiring, and it allowed a citizen-jury to speak to the harms that had been done to him; harms that the insurance company should have recognized long ago.
