David Baugher//November 26, 2024//
A man who claimed injuries from an impact so soft that the other driver said she never felt it will not collect any damages from a St. Louis County jury.
“He was leaving out of the parking lot and said that, as he was making his way toward the exit, she backed out of her spot and into the side of his car,” said defense attorney Brandon Copeland of Watters Wolf Bub Hansmann.
The case stemmed from a 2018 incident in which defendant Judy Proot allegedly struck a vehicle operated by plaintiff Joseph Hall who claimed neck and back trouble arising from the collision.
“Our client said she didn’t feel anything. She didn’t hear anything,” said Copeland. “She got out and looked at the car and didn’t see any visible damage to either car.”
Copeland said that the plaintiff, who had preexisting injuries, consulted his doctor and did get some physical therapy.
He said that Hall also alleged that he scratched his eye in the accident.
“We had an expert witness look at both of the vehicles and pull the data recorder information off of them,” Copeland said. “What he found was that, if there was an impact, and it wasn’t certain that there was, it was so minor that neither of the data recorders registered it.”
He said further examination of the plaintiff’s vehicle revealed only a minor mark on the side of the rear bumper.
“He really couldn’t even confirm that it was from this accident,” Copeland said of his expert. “If it was, the damage left behind was so minor that it would have been under two-and-a-half miles per hour.”
Hall’s preexisting injuries were brought up by Copeland in court though the plaintiff argued that the impact had exacerbated them.
Jurors eventually returned a defense verdict.
“People just really liked our client,” said Copeland who spoke with members of the panel afterward. “They thought she was honest. They thought she was telling the truth.”
Jared Gab of the Law Office of Derald L. Gab was listed as representing the plaintiff. He did not return a request for comment.
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- Defense verdict
- Motor vehicle accident
- Venue: St. Louis County Circuit Court
- Case Number/Date: 22SL-CC02661/Oct. 9, 2024
- Judge: Ellen Ribaudo
- Plaintiffs’ Experts: Abid Nisar, St. Louis, (medical)
- Defendants’ Experts: Adam Crepin, St. Charles, (engineering)
- Injuries: Back, spine, eye
- Last Pretrial Demand: $20,000
- Last Pretrial Offer: $2,500
- Insurer: The Cincinnati Insurance Company
- Caption: Joseph Hall v. Judy Proot
- Plaintiffs’ Attorneys: Jared Gab of the Law Office of Derald L. Gab, (St. Louis)
- Defendants’ Attorneys: Brandon Copeland of Watters Wolf Bub Hansmann, (St. Louis)
This article credit to MOLawyersMedia