$8 Million Verdict for Georgia Motorcyclist After Dump Truck Sent Barrel Into His Path on I-75

On October 12, 2015, Ronnie Stevens was riding his Harley-Davidson Street Glide southbound on Interstate 75 near a construction zone in Clayton County, Georgia. A dump truck driven by Donald Parks, operating for J.R.K. Trucking, attempted to move into a closed lane to access a construction site in the highway median. Parks struck an orange construction barrel, which ricocheted directly into Stevens's path. Stevens lost control of his motorcycle and crashed, fracturing his wrist and shattering his ankle.

The aftermath complicated the case from the start. The truck left the scene, and the initial report listed the responsible driver only as a 'John Doe.' Plaintiff's counsel had to comb through every general contractor working on the construction project to identify Parks and his employer, J.R.K. Trucking. By the time of trial, J.R.K. Trucking had ceased operations.

Stevens was a U.S. Navy chief petty officer with 23 years of service when the crash occurred. His shattered ankle prevented him from completing the 1.5-mile run required for the Navy's physical readiness test, blocking him from going out on ships and making him ineligible for promotions. He was forced to retire seven years ahead of schedule, losing both career trajectory and the physical activities, including sports and recreation, that had defined his life.

At trial in November 2019, attorneys Michael Goldberg and Eric Rogers of Fried Rogers Goldberg (now Fried Goldberg LLC) argued that the defendants were fully responsible for Parks's negligent lane maneuver. Medical expenses came to approximately $171,000, a figure the defense pointed to in arguing for a far lower award. Goldberg countered that the ongoing daily pain, the forced military retirement, and the permanent loss of physical function could not be measured by past medical bills alone. He told the jury that Stevens would give back any amount of money in exchange for his ankle and his life back.

Before the verdict, the parties entered a high-low agreement guaranteeing a minimum recovery regardless of outcome, though the defendants did not concede liability. The Clayton County jury deliberated roughly two hours before returning an $8 million verdict. The result represented the gap between what the defendants offered before trial and what the jury found Stevens had lost.