Lexington Jury Awards $21,270 for Medical Bills in Collision

In Lexington, Kentucky, a vehicle collision on Nicholasville Road on February 18, 2022, led to a personal injury lawsuit. The plaintiff, then age 51, was traveling in a clear lane while other lanes were stopped. The defendant, driving a vehicle provided by his employer, attempted an illegal turn across a double-yellow line and multiple lanes of traffic, colliding with the plaintiff's vehicle. The court later determined the defendant was at fault as a matter of law. The plaintiff subsequently filed a lawsuit alleging negligence and seeking damages for multiple injuries. The defendant's employer was initially a party but was dismissed via summary judgment.

The plaintiff claimed the collision caused an exacerbation of a pre-existing cervical condition, a knee injury, and a traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting in memory loss, focus problems, and migraines. Medical experts for the plaintiff, including a neurosurgeon, orthopedist, neuropsychiatrist, and neuroradiologist, linked these conditions to the incident and projected significant future medical needs and costs. The plaintiff sought $145,374 in past medical bills, $1.151 million for future care, and additional damages for past and future pain and suffering.

The defendant admitted fault for the collision but contested the extent and causation of the plaintiff's alleged injuries. The defense argued the vehicle's interior sustained minimal damage and that the plaintiff's immediate post-collision lucidity was inconsistent with a concussion. Defense medical experts, including a neuroradiologist and neurosurgeon, found the plaintiff's imaging scans normal, questioned the TBI claims, and suggested existing symptoms were continuous with prior conditions rather than new injuries from the crash. The defense also challenged the reliability of specialized imaging used by a plaintiff's expert.

After a four-day trial, the jury found the defendant solely at fault, rejecting any comparative fault by the plaintiff. However, the jury awarded the plaintiff only $21,270 for past medical bills, declining to award damages for future medical care, past suffering, or future suffering. The plaintiff has since filed a motion for a new trial, arguing that evidence of neck pain linked to the collision was undisputed and alleging prejudice due to a sleeping juror who later became the foreman. The defendant opposed the motion, asserting substantial evidence supported the verdict and that the plaintiff waived any objection to the juror. The motion for a new trial remains pending.