Seminole County Jury Awards $14,034.21 in Rear-End Collision

In Seminole County, Florida, a plaintiff filed a lawsuit after a motor vehicle collision on September 16, 2005. The plaintiff's vehicle was rear-ended at the intersection of SR 46 and Round Lake Road while stopped to allow another vehicle to turn. The defendants admitted liability for causing the collision but disputed that the incident caused the plaintiff's alleged injuries or resulted in any permanent injury.

During the two-day trial, both sides presented medical expert testimony. A jury, composed of three males and three females, deliberated for one hour. The jury found the defendant driver's negligence was a legal cause of loss, injury, or damage to the plaintiff. However, the jury also determined the plaintiff did not sustain a permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, awarding a total verdict of $14,034.21.

Following the verdict, both parties filed motions for attorney's fees based on pre-trial settlement offers. The plaintiff argued the judgment amount, including statutory costs, exceeded their $17,000 settlement proposal. The defendants contended the net verdict of $6,524.67, after set-offs, was substantially less than their $10,000 settlement offer. The plaintiff's motion for a new trial was denied by stipulation, and the defendants' motion to vacate an order regarding the plaintiff's entitlement to attorney's fees was granted.