Broward County Jury Awards $18.7M in Fatal DUI Rear-End Collision

A motor vehicle accident occurred when the driver of a vehicle lost control, allegedly due to excessive speed and reckless driving, and crashed. A backseat passenger in the vehicle sustained severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and quadriplegia. The injured passenger subsequently filed a lawsuit against the driver, claiming negligence for the incident and seeking damages for the extensive injuries. During the proceedings, the plaintiff presented expert testimony on accident reconstruction and economic damages to support the claims. The defendant countered with expert witnesses in vocational rehabilitation, life care planning, and accident biomechanics. The case concluded with an award of $19,233,037 to the injured passenger.

One driver collided with the rear of another vehicle. The driver in the rear vehicle alleged injuries, pain, suffering, and medical expenses due to the other driver's negligence. The case involved claims for negligence and underinsured motorist benefits. The defendant denied the allegations and raised defenses including comparative negligence. The case was settled.

In December 2009, an individual, acting as general guardian for the plaintiff, alleged that a defendant negligently operated a vehicle. The defendant's vehicle reportedly struck a car positioned directly behind the plaintiff's vehicle, causing that car to rear-end the plaintiff's car and resulting in personal injuries to the plaintiff. The plaintiff, through the general guardian, filed a negligence lawsuit against two defendants on April 12, 2012, in the Circuit Court, Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Manatee County, Florida. An amended complaint was later filed on November 26, 2013, reiterating claims of negligence. The case concluded on July 28, 2015, when the parties filed a stipulation of dismissal with prejudice, indicating they had reached a settlement agreement.

On October 7, 2015, a City of Gainesville utility truck ran a stop sign in Alachua County, Florida, colliding with a pickup truck. A 20-year-old back-seat passenger in the pickup sustained spinal cord injuries, resulting in permanent paralysis from the chest down, lifelong wheelchair confinement, a reduced life expectancy, and continuous medical needs. The plaintiff filed a negligence lawsuit against the utility truck's driver and the City of Gainesville. While defendants admitted the utility truck ran the stop sign, they asserted the accident was caused by the host driver's speeding and that the plaintiff was comparatively negligent for not wearing a seat belt. Defense experts testified to support these claims. The jury found the defendant employee's negligence was the legal cause of the injuries, determining neither the plaintiff nor the host driver was negligent. The plaintiff was awarded $120,000,000 in damages, covering medical expenses, loss of services, and pain and suffering. Post-verdict, defendants filed motions challenging the outcome and stated they would seek to limit the City of Gainesville's liability to a statutory cap of $200,000.

A motor vehicle collision occurred on December 27, 2010, in St. Petersburg, Florida, when an underinsured motorist rear-ended a vehicle operated by the plaintiff. The plaintiffs, the injured driver and a spouse, filed a complaint in June 2012 against their uninsured/underinsured motorist carrier, 21st Century Indemnity Insurance. They alleged the driver's damages from the collision exceeded the $50,000 liability policy held by the at-fault driver. An amended complaint filed in September 2014 added a claim of bad faith against the defendant insurer. During the proceedings, the defendant presented expert testimony from professionals in accident reconstruction, neurosurgery, biomechanics, and radiology. The jury ultimately awarded $0 to the injured driver for damages and $0 to the spouse for loss of consortium.