Marine Corps Veteran Awarded $10.7 Million Verdict for Motorcycle Crash Injuries

[Daytona Beach, FL] – A Volusia County jury Thursday awarded a $10,766,000 verdict to a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who was severely injured in a 2022 motorcycle crash in Daytona Beach Shores, FL. Represented by Morgan & Morgan attorneys Michael J. Smith, Jack T. Cook and Raissa Booze, the plaintiff declined the defense’s highest pre-trial settlement offer of just $90,000 before ultimately being awarded the eight-figure verdict.

On March 31, 2022, the plaintiff, who is a Volusia County resident, was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle north on State Road A1A. A woman visiting from Michigan, who was traveling in the opposite direction, failed to yield to him and turned left across his path. The two vehicles collided despite the biker’s best efforts to avoid a crash. The plaintiff suffered extensive injuries including a disc herniation in his neck, a torn rotator cuff and severe aggravation of an existing herniation in his back as well as facial scarring. He underwent surgery on his lower back and will need surgery on his neck and shoulder in the future. 

“In this case, the defense made the mistake of questioning the honor and integrity of a Marine Corps vet by insinuating that our client was exaggerating his injuries,” said Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney Jack T. Cook. “The jury saw the truth — that our client’s injuries cause him constant pain, to the point he can no longer enjoy his time with family, and he will never ride a motorcycle again. Ultimately, the jury delivered justice for our client to help him get his life back to as normal as he possibly can.”

The plaintiff’s Morgan & Morgan trial team overcame baseless claims from the defense that the biker could have avoided the crash despite having only a few seconds to react to the defendant’s failure to yield. The jury awarded the full amount of the plaintiff’s past and future medical expenses and $10,000,000 in pain and suffering damages.

The case was heard by Judge Dennis Craig in the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in and for Volusia County, Florida, Case No. 2023-32411-CICI. The defense was represented by attorneys Virgil Wright and Chris Coleman of Cameron, Hodges, Coleman, LaPointe, & Wright, P.A.