St. Louis Jury Awards Nominal Damages For FSM Client in Case Involving Alleged Head Injury
06/10/2022In June 2022, a St. Louis jury awarded nominal damages in their verdict against a defendant for injuries allegedly sustained by plaintiffs in a motor vehicle accident. The husband and wife plaintiffs alleged vehicular negligence and loss of consortium due to the accident. Prior to trial, an investigation revealed that the defendant was at fault for a concussion received by the husband. Following extensive depositions and neurological testing, the plaintiffs sought 1.8 million dollars in their damages request to the jury. FSM partner John Mullen evaluated the case to the client at ten to twenty-five thousand dollars. This estimate came after a defense retained expert stated conducted an independent medical examination and realized no complaints had been raised by the plaintiff of concussion-related symptoms until after ninety days following the accident. FSM focused their jury selection to eliminate members with bias against their client and selected a jury they knew would be impartial. After Mr. Mullen’s emphatic and impassioned closing, the jury brought back a verdict for only twenty thousand dollars for the injuries sustained by the husband and awarded nothing to his wife for her loss of consortium claim. The case was defended by FSM partners John Mullen and Courtney Stirrat.