[Phoenix, AZ] – A Maricopa County jury Tuesday awarded Connie Finkbeiner, 64, and her husband, Richard Finkbeiner, a $6,000,000 verdict for injuries Mrs. Finkbeiner suffered in a 2017 car crash in Chandler, AZ. Represented by Morgan & Morgan attorneys Steven Jones, Jason Leonard and Keith Mitnik, the Finkbeiners declined the defense’s highest pre-trial settlement offer of $400,000 and were ultimately awarded the multi-million dollar verdict.
On February 15, 2017, Mrs. Finkbeiner was stopped westbound on Basha Road at a stop sign waiting to turn northbound onto Alma School Road in Chandler when the defendant driver rear-ended her vehicle, causing disc herniations in her neck and back. Mrs. Finkbeiner has undergone years of treatment for these injuries, including an anterior cervical disc fusion in her neck and a lumbar decompression in her back. Mrs. Finkbeiner also developed complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a neuroinflammatory disorder in which severe pain outlasts the expected recovery time.
“The difference between Mrs. Finkbeiner’s life before and after the crash is truly night-and-day,” said Morgan & Morgan attorney Jason Leonard. “She now has to use a cane or wheelchair to get around and wasn't able to continue running her family business. While the defense attempted to avoid responsibility for our client’s injuries, we demonstrated throughout the trial that nothing other than the crash explains her severe pain and the sudden shift in Mrs. Finkbeiner’s capabilities. We’re pleased the jury saw the truth of what happened here and awarded a just verdict.”
The $6 million verdict included $5 million for Mrs. Finkbeiner and $1 million in loss of consortium damages for Mr. Finkbeiner.
The case was heard by Judge Rodrick Coffey, No. CV 2019-090186 in the Superior Court of the State of Arizona for the County of Maricopa. The defendant driver and the HOA that owned the vehicle he was driving were represented by Kenneth W. Welsh, Jr. of Welsh, Wales & Fry, PLC.