Louisville, Kentucky Jury Awards $300,000 in Pedestrian Accident
A pedestrian was hit in a crosswalk by a driver who ran a red light. The pedestrian alleged severe injuries including lacerations, a torn labrum, and shoulder surgery. The driver admitted to running the red light but argued the light changed quickly. The jury found both parties at fault, assigning more responsibility to the driver, and awarded the pedestrian $400,000 for pain and suffering.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $400,000
- County
- Jefferson County, KY
- Resolved
- 2024
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Burns / Lacerations
- Accident Type
- Pedestrian
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Negligence, Auto/Pedestrian Collision
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $400,000 is below the median of $36,240,000 for burns / lacerations cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $400,000 to $42,000,000, based on 8 cases in our database.
Case Overview
A pedestrian filed a negligence lawsuit against a driver after being struck in a crosswalk on September 19, 2019, at the intersection of Bardstown Road and Wrocklage Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky. The plaintiff alleged the defendant ran a red light, causing a severe impact and injuries, including severe lacerations to an arm, a torn labrum, and a shoulder injury requiring surgery. The plaintiff sought damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and lost earnings.
The defendant admitted to running the red light but claimed the traffic signal changed unusually quickly from green to red, preventing a timely stop. The defendant also argued the plaintiff entered the crosswalk prematurely, before the pedestrian signal turned green.
The case proceeded to a first trial, which resulted in a verdict for the defendant. The trial judge subsequently granted the plaintiff a new trial, determining that a jury instruction had improperly limited the jury's consideration of the defendant's duties, thereby depriving the plaintiff of a fair trial. In the second trial, the jury found both parties at fault, assigning 75% of the responsibility to the defendant and 25% to the plaintiff. The jury awarded the plaintiff $400,000 for pain and suffering, which was adjusted to a final award of $300,000 after comparative fault allocation.
Understanding This Case
- This case went to trial and resulted in a jury verdict. Verdicts can yield higher awards but carry the risk of receiving nothing if the jury rules against the plaintiff.
- This case was resolved in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
- Resolved in 2024, this case reflects the legal and economic conditions of that period, including medical costs, insurance practices, and jury award trends at the time.
VerdictlyTM Score
This outcome is within expected ranges
This score is calculated by analyzing injury type, accident details, geographic location, temporal trends, and comparing against 2,000+ similar cases in our database.
Curious about your case value?
Get a free case evaluation to understand what your motor vehicle accident case might be worth based on cases like this in Jefferson County.
Similar cases you may find useful
Handpicked by matching injury type, accident details, and outcome to this case.
On May 9, 2015, a passenger was involved in a vehicle collision at the intersection of Fifth and Broadway in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The vehicle carrying the plaintiff was struck by a second car, whose driver had proceeded through a red light. The plaintiff was treated at an emergency room and subsequently for an aggravation of degenerative cervical and disc conditions, incurring medical bills totaling $19,478. After receiving $25,000 from the at-fault driver's insurer, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit in Jefferson Circuit Court against his own carrier, the defendant insurer, seeking Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage. The case was later removed to federal court on diversity jurisdiction. The plaintiff claimed $19,478 for medical expenses and $129,000 for pain and suffering. The defendant insurer argued that the claimed injuries were minimal and pointed to the plaintiff's history of similar complaints from a previous accident seven months prior. The case proceeded to a jury trial, which focused solely on the issue of damages. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for $119,478, comprising $19,478 for medical expenses and $100,000 for pain and suffering. This award exceeded the $35,000 threshold required to activate UIM coverage and the $60,000 amount that would have exhausted the defendant insurer's UIM policy. The court subsequently entered a judgment for the plaintiff for the $25,000 UIM policy limits.
A lawsuit stemmed from a motor vehicle and pedestrian collision. The plaintiff presented expert testimony related to life care planning and rehabilitation, indicating claims for long-term care and disability. The defendant countered with expert testimony from fields including psychology, neuropsychology, and orthopedic surgery. The parties reached a resolution, and the case was concluded with a stipulated dismissal in April 2019.
A lawsuit stemmed from a rear-end vehicle collision in Lexington, Kentucky, alleging negligent operation of a vehicle. Few additional details regarding the incident or the specific allegations made by the plaintiff were available from the record. The defendant in the case retained an orthopedic surgery expert. The resolution of the litigation was not specified.
A plaintiff filed a personal injury lawsuit after a rear-end collision. The plaintiff sought damages, making a demand of $40,305. The defendant challenged the plaintiff's claims, presenting expert testimony from a neurological surgeon. Further details regarding the case's resolution were not available.
A plaintiff alleged she was injured when her vehicle was rear-ended in traffic, subsequently pushing it into a third car. After settling with the at-fault driver for $25,000, which represented the policy limit, she sought underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage from her insurer, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, claiming her damages exceeded that amount. State Farm denied the UIM benefits. The plaintiff, joined by her husband for a loss of consortium claim, filed suit in the Colorado First Judicial District for the County of Jefferson. The complaint alleged breach of contract, bad faith breach of insurance contract, and violations of Colorado statutes. State Farm asserted affirmative defenses, including failure to mitigate damages. Following a jury trial, the jury rendered a verdict for State Farm. It found the plaintiff failed to cooperate with State Farm's investigation, that these actions were material, substantial, and disadvantaged the insurer, and that she intentionally misrepresented material facts. The court entered judgment for State Farm. The parties later stipulated to dismiss the case with prejudice, with State Farm waiving costs in exchange for the plaintiff's waiver of appellate rights. The court granted the dismissal.
Explore More Cases Like This
Browse similar cases by injury type and location to get a better understanding of case values in your area.