Jury Awards $19,233,037 After Reckless Driving Accident

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.

In Florida's Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court for Broward County, a plaintiff filed a lawsuit after a rear-end collision allegedly caused by an intoxicated driver led to a fatality. The incident occurred when the defendant's vehicle reportedly struck the rear of the plaintiff's vehicle near an intersection, forcing it off the road and into a tree. Blood tests conducted more than an hour after the crash indicated the defendant's blood alcohol content was .28 g/100 mL, while a test more than two hours later showed .25 g/100 mL. A passenger in the plaintiff's vehicle sustained extensive injuries, including paralysis, quadriplegia, and a bruised spinal cord at C3-4, and later died approximately nine months after the collision. The defendant subsequently faced criminal prosecution for DUI Manslaughter, entering a no contest plea and receiving a sentence that resulted in incarceration. The plaintiff, the surviving spouse, filed a civil complaint alleging vehicular liability and wrongful death. During pre-trial proceedings, the plaintiff demanded $1 million to settle the case, while the defendant offered $10,000, representing the limits of her insurance policy. A four-day jury trial ensued, resulting in a verdict for the plaintiff. The jury awarded total damages of $18,749,802.12, finding the defendant 94% liable and the plaintiff 6% liable for the incident. The award included $3,749,802.12 for past medical expenses and $15,000,000 for non-economic damages to the surviving spouse.

In April 2011, a passenger in a sport utility vehicle sustained injuries when the vehicle was struck from behind by a minivan in North Port, Florida. The SUV was waiting to exit a gasoline station parking lot onto Tamiami Trail when the collision occurred. The plaintiff claimed injuries to his back, neck, and a shoulder, including herniated discs and a torn glenoid labrum. He underwent extensive conservative treatment and injections, alleging that his injuries prevented him from starting a landscaping business and engaging in recreational activities. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit alleging negligence against the minivan's driver and vicarious liability against its owner. The owner was later dismissed from the case. After the driver's death, the suit continued against his estate. A motion for summary judgment on liability was granted for the plaintiff, leading the case to proceed solely on the issue of damages. During the trial, the plaintiff sought recovery for past and future medical expenses and pain and suffering, with a life-care planner estimating $630,000 for lifelong treatment. The defense argued that the accident was low-impact and could not have caused the plaintiff's claimed injuries. Defense medical experts testified that the plaintiff had chronic degenerative conditions in his spine and shoulder. Following a five-day trial and three hours of deliberation, the jury rendered a defense verdict. The jury concluded that the defendant's negligence was not a legal cause of injury to the plaintiff.

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.

On September 8, 2011, the plaintiff's vehicle was rear-ended by an underinsured motor vehicle on Florida's Turnpike at the Glades Road exit ramp in Palm Beach County, Florida. The plaintiff alleged the collision resulted from the other driver's negligence and sought damages for her injuries through her uninsured/underinsured motorist carrier, the defendant insurance company. The plaintiff filed a complaint against the insurer on March 21, 2014, asserting uninsured/underinsured motorist and bad faith claims related to its handling of her claim. The defendant insurer responded that the plaintiff was the sole legal cause of the alleged injuries and was therefore barred from recovery. The defense presented expert testimony in accident reconstruction, emergency medicine, dentistry, radiology, and orthopedic surgery. A jury determined that the negligence of the other driver caused injury to the plaintiff. However, the jury also found that the plaintiff had not suffered a permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability as a result of the motor vehicle accident.