Georgia Jury Awards $225,000 in Motor Vehicle Collision

In January 2018, a plaintiff filed a lawsuit in Georgia following a motor vehicle collision. The plaintiff alleged the defendant failed to yield at a stop sign and maintain a proper lookout, causing the defendant's vehicle to strike the plaintiff's vehicle, pushing it into a tree. The plaintiff sustained a rotator cuff tear requiring surgery among other injuries, and sought damages for medical expenses, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, and attorney's fees.

The defendant admitted breaching a duty of care but denied liability for attorney's fees and disputed the extent of the plaintiff's alleged injuries. During pre-trial proceedings, a misnomer in the defendant's name was corrected. The plaintiff also filed motions to exclude certain evidence, including portions of expert testimony, which the defendant opposed.

The case proceeded to trial, and in November 2019, a jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, awarding $225,000 in general damages. The court entered the final judgment shortly thereafter. The plaintiff's 14% permanent impairment rating to her right upper extremity, sustained from the collision, likely factored into the damages calculation.