Driver allegedly was talking on his cell phone, crossed the center line of traffic, and hit plaintiff head-on. As a result of the accident, plaintiff, a 50-year-old air conditioner repairman, functions at the level of a small child and requires daily living assistance. Plaintiff sued the driver and driver's employer. Defendant driver only had a $10,000 policy at the time of the accident, and plaintiff was able to recover beyond the liability policy based on a bad faith insurance claim. Sidebar: Subsequently, defendant driver was convicted of reckless driving.
VERDICT $14,400,000. ($10,400,000 in damages, $4,000,000 for the wife's loss of consortium claim.)
Kroeger v. Bevis, et. al. (Brevard County, Florida, Case no. 2007-CA-015242).
