Congratulations to Leslie B. Pollie and Jessica N. Hamilton on their Recent Defense Verdict!
By: Kopka Pinkus Dolin
Indianapolis, Indiana – In a five-day jury trial, the dynamic team of Managing Partner Leslie Pollie, Associate Jessica Hamilton and Paralegal Tonya Hebauf successfully defended a prominent home improvement center in a case of liability that arose as a result of a motorcycle accident in Vanderburg County, Indiana. The 21-year-old plaintiff was a passenger on the motorcycle, driven by her boyfriend, which struck a wood pallet in the middle of the road. The plaintiff suffered a critical brain bleed that ultimately required doctors to remove a portion of her skull to allow her brain to swell in order to have a chance at surviving the injury. She did eventually recover, but with permanent limitations. At the scene, in the general area of the accident, police recovered a shipping label belonging to our client. Plaintiff’s counsel claimed that the shipment must have been improperly secured before transit, resulting in the discarded wood pallet. The plaintiff’s blackboarded past and future medical specials and lost wages were up to $10,000,000. The initial demand was over $9,000,000 and only dropped to $1,700,000 during trial. The defense discovered that the shipment in question arrived at its destination without incident two weeks prior to the accident. However, there were over 23 medical experts testifying on behalf of an extremely sympathetic plaintiff. In the end, after an hour and half of deliberation, the jury returned a defense verdict.
