$320,000 Verdict for 73-Year-Old Woman After Knee Replacement Caused by Uninsured Driver

On a Nashville intersection, Ladarius Vanlier turned across Cinda Haddon's path and struck her vehicle. Haddon, then 73, had the right-of-way. The collision fractured her patella and set off a chain of medical consequences that would span years.

Initial treatment was conservative, but the fracture did not heal properly. Haddon eventually underwent surgery to address a non-union, and that procedure was not the end of it. Her condition continued to decline until she required a total knee replacement.

Because Vanlier could not be served and carried no insurance, Haddon brought a UIM claim against her own carrier, Auto-Owners Insurance Company. Laura Baker and John Day of the Law Offices of John Day, based in Brentwood, represented her at trial in Davidson County Circuit Court before Judge Thomas Brothers.

Liability was not disputed at trial. Judge Brothers entered a directed verdict on that issue, leaving damages as the only question for the jury. The defense, represented by William G. Wojcik II of Kay Griffin in Nashville, contested the extent of Haddon's injuries and what they were worth.

The jury returned a $320,000 verdict on May 18, 2023. The breakdown included $100,000 for past pain and suffering, $10,000 for future pain and suffering, $30,000 for past loss of ability to enjoy life, $10,000 for future loss of ability to enjoy life, $9,735 for permanent injury, and $160,265 in past medical expenses.

Haddon later sought prejudgment interest on the award. The Court of Appeals initially sided with her, treating the UIM suit as a contract claim. The Tennessee Supreme Court reversed that ruling in May 2026, holding that UIM cases sound in tort rather than contract and that prejudgment interest is therefore unavailable. The $320,000 jury verdict itself was not disturbed.