Firm attorney, Dennis Phayer secured a $0 jury verdict after a week-long trial in Federal Court (Snider v. ASF – 2:14-CV-02132). The case involved a high speed three-vehicle trucking accident in which a co-defendant truck rear-ended our insured truck before colliding with plaintiff. Plaintiff was well-represented by a firm who recently was successful in obtaining a $51 million dollar verdict in a well publicized trucking case. Plaintiff initially demanded a $1 million settlement from our insured and threatened to seek an excess verdict. They argued that our insured driver was negligent for slowing on the interstate and went so far as to claim our insured company was negligent for hiring and retaining the driver.

After our attorneys prevailed on a critical pre-trial ruling that excluded the negligent hiring claim, plaintiff significantly reduced her demand, but the matter did not settle. At trial, plaintiff’s attorneys made an impassioned plea to the jury to hold our insured driver accountable for causing an accident in which plaintiff was blame-free and asked the jury for several million dollars. Despite being the only defendant left at trial, Phayer convinced the jury that our insured was also blame-free and walked out of the courthouse with a Zero defense verdict.

For further details, please feel free to contact Dennis Phayer at (504) 836-0412.