Jury Awards $261,520 to Retired Florist Cut from Car After Head-On Crash on River Road

On a stretch of River Road in Prospect, a retired florist working occasional part-time shifts was struck head-on. The impact was severe enough that first responders had to cut him out of the vehicle with the Jaws of Life.

He came away with three distinct injuries: a fractured rib, a broken kneecap, and a torn meniscus. The physical toll cost him weeks of lost income and left him dealing with lasting pain.

The at-fault driver carried only $25,000 in liability coverage. After the plaintiff settled with that driver for the policy limit, his damages far exceeded what he had recovered. He turned to his own underinsured motorist policy and filed a UIM claim. His insurer disputed the value, and the case went to trial in Jefferson Circuit Court before Judge Julie Kaelin.

Cara Stigger and Kerstin Schuhmann of Kaufman and Stigger presented the plaintiff's damages to the jury. The case involved a pretrial issue-preclusion ruling that shaped how certain facts came in at trial. Once those questions were resolved, the jury heard the evidence and deliberated for approximately eight minutes.

The panel awarded the plaintiff every dollar he asked for: $11,520 in lost wages and $250,000 for pain and suffering, totaling $261,520. After deducting the underlying liability limits and PIP payments already received, the net judgment was expected to be approximately $228,059.