Louisville Jury Awards $119,478 in Red-Light Collision

On May 9, 2015, a passenger in a vehicle in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, sustained injuries when the vehicle was struck by a second car that reportedly ran a red light at the intersection of Fifth and Broadway. The plaintiff sought emergency treatment and later follow-up care for an aggravation of pre-existing cervical and disc conditions, incurring $19,478 in medical bills. The plaintiff first settled with the at-fault driver's insurer for the $25,000 policy limit.

The plaintiff then filed a lawsuit in Jefferson Circuit Court, seeking underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage from his own insurer. The case was removed to federal court based on diversity of citizenship. The plaintiff claimed his medical expenses and $129,000 for pain and suffering. The defendant insurer minimized the claimed injury, noting the plaintiff's history of similar complaints from a prior motor vehicle accident seven months earlier. The trial proceeded solely on the issue of damages.

A jury awarded the plaintiff $119,478, which included the full $19,478 for medical expenses and $100,000 for pain and suffering. This verdict significantly exceeded both the minimum threshold to activate underinsured motorist coverage and the policy's maximum payout. Consequently, the court entered a judgment for the plaintiff for the $25,000 policy limits of the UIM coverage.