The trial: Stevens v. JRK Trucking
The attorney: Eric Rogers
Tags: Georgia, Transportation, Trucking, Joint/soft tissue injury, Motorcycle, Non-economic damages
Case summary: Ronnie Stevens suffered wrist and ankle injuries in a motorcycle crash he contended was caused when a JRK Trucking dump truck struck an orange construction barrel, sending it into Stevens' path.
The witness: Ronnie Stevens
Synopsis: Rogers questions Stevens on how active he was, his love of sports and motorcycles, and his military service. Stevens testifies that the injury greatly limits those activities and has left him unable to pass his annual military fitness exam. Additionally, Rogers focuses on the fact that Stevens is prescribed pain killers, but that he voluntarily takes over-the-counter medication instead because he wants to avoid the side effects of the prescription medication. The acknowledgment of the prescription pain killers serves to blunt defense contentions that his use of over-the-counter medications indicate his pain is not particularly severe. Stevens further acknowledges that he has "good and bad" days in dealing with the pain, establishing credibility with the jury.
The verdict: $8 million.
