Jeffersonville Jury Awards $330,000 in Rear-End Collision

On February 17, 2017, a rear-end collision occurred in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The plaintiff, driving a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado, had stopped to make a left turn when the defendant, driving a 1998 Chevrolet pickup truck, failed to stop and struck the plaintiff's vehicle. The crash caused the plaintiff to suffer neck injuries, which later required fusion surgery.

The plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the defendant, alleging negligence. Upon discovering the defendant was uninsured, the plaintiff also pursued an uninsured motorist (UM) claim against his own insurer. The court granted a default judgment against the defendant after he failed to respond to the complaint, and the litigation proceeded solely on the UM claim. The plaintiff's policy with the insurer had limits of $100,000.

During a two-day trial in Jeffersonville, the insurer stipulated to liability for the collision but disputed the extent of the plaintiff's claimed injuries. The plaintiff elected not to introduce his medical bills into evidence. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, awarding $330,000 in damages. While no judgment had been entered at the time of the record review, the award was expected to be reduced to the available policy limits of $100,000. The insurer's pre-trial settlement offer was $15,000.