Florida Jury Awards $559,227.64 in Motor Vehicle Collision

A plaintiff initiated a lawsuit in Florida's Fifteenth Judicial Circuit following two separate motor vehicle collisions. The first incident occurred on November 30, 2005, involving a vehicle operated by a defendant. The second collision happened on November 16, 2006, involving a vehicle operated by a second defendant, whom the plaintiff alleged was an employee of a corporate defendant at the time. The plaintiff asserted that she suffered various bodily injuries and related damages from both incidents, contending that some injuries combined to form a single indivisible injury.

The plaintiff filed the initial complaint in February 2006, alleging negligence against the first driver and seeking uninsured/underinsured motorist benefits from her insurer, claiming both drivers were underinsured. In October 2007, the plaintiff amended the complaint to add claims of negligence against the second driver and vicarious liability against the corporate defendant. The plaintiff's husband also sought damages for loss of consortium.

In October 2010, a jury rendered a mixed verdict, awarding the plaintiff $559,227.64. The jury found that the plaintiff did not sustain a permanent injury from the 2005 accident but did sustain a permanent injury from the 2006 accident. The jury also concluded that the second driver was operating the vehicle within the scope of employment with the corporate defendant and determined that punitive damages were warranted against the first driver. The award included specific amounts for past medical expenses related to both incidents, as well as future medical expenses and past pain and suffering attributed to the 2006 accident.