Laura Danielle Johnson, Esq. obtained a directed verdict for our client in Gwinnett County after the plaintiff rested his case. In this case of disputed liability, our client’s vehicle spun out of control on a patch of ice and hit the plaintiff’s vehicle. The plaintiff claimed neck and back injuries and requested a verdict in excess of $30,000.00, but because the plaintiff failed to prove that he had properly renewed his claim after properly dismissing it under O.C.G.A. § 9-2-61, the judge granted a directed verdict and ruled that the case was barred by the applicable statute of limitations.
Nikolai Makarenko, Jr., Esq. obtained a verdict that was less than the pretrial settlement offer in Hall County. The plaintiff’s only demand was for our client’s policy limits, based in part upon claimed future medical expenses for a shoulder surgery, but the jury deliberated for only 3 hours before awarding the $16,000.00 that Nik suggested in his closing argument.
Paul L. Groth, Esq. obtained a verdict for 1/3 the pretrial settlement offer in Gwinnett County. Though the plaintiff’s attorney requested $18.6 million, Paul was able to convince the jury that the plaintiff was not injured as badly as he claimed. Our client had offered the plaintiff $150,000.00 to settle prior to trial, but the plaintiff declined the settlement offer, thinking that he would recover much more at trial. However, the jury only awarded $31,000.00.
Paul L. Groth, Esq. obtained a defense verdict in Gwinnett County in a case where the defendant was never even found. The plaintiff requested $100,000.00 for neck and back injuries resulting from a minor rear-end accident, and Paul tried the case on behalf of the plaintiff’s uninsured motorist carrier. The plaintiff underwent a 2-level fusion in his low back, but the jury returned a defense verdict believing that the plaintiff had not proven his case.
Nikolai Makarenko, Jr., Esq. obtained a verdict for less than the pretrial settlement offer in Hall County. Our client acknowledged responsibility for causing the accident, but contested that the plaintiff’s claimed shoulder problems and resulting surgery were not caused by the accident. Although the surgery had been recommended before the accident, the plaintiff claims that she did not receive it because she was not experiencing any pain prior to the accident. Her surgeon testified that her asymptomatic rotator cuff tear was aggravated by the accident and led to her having the surgery, but an orthopedic surgeon that had treated the plaintiff before and after the accident testified that the accident did not aggravate the plaintiff’s condition. The jury only deliberated for 2 hours before returning a verdict for $2,000.00 less than the pretrial settlement offer and a defense verdict on the plaintiff’s husband’s loss of consortium claim.
