Morgan & Morgan Wins $4.458 Million Verdict for 65-Year-Old Father Injured in Car Crash

[Bradenton, FL] – A Manatee County jury awarded a $4.458 million verdict to a 65-year-old Bradenton man for injuries he sustained in a car crash. The plaintiff, represented by Morgan & Morgan attorneys Ryan Sainz, Bora Kayan and Peter Nelson, declined the defendants’ highest pre-trial settlement offer of $100,000 before being awarded the seven-figure verdict.

On November 24, 2021, the plaintiff was driving on I-75 in Manatee County on his way home from a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game with his disabled son when his vehicle was struck by a negligent driver. As a result, he suffered injuries to his lower back that aggravated pre-existing conditions and required a joint fusion surgery.  

 “Prior to the crash, our client was a capable, lifelong construction worker that loved sharing his favorite pastimes with his son,” said Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney Ryan Sainz. “The jury was able to recognize the profound physical and mental toll his injuries had on his life. They didn’t just see a claim, they saw a construction worker losing his livelihood and, more importantly, his ability to enjoy the life he built with his family."

The plaintiff was forced to file a lawsuit against his insurance companies, State Farm and Owners Insurance Company, when they failed to properly evaluate and value the damage suffered by the plaintiff as a result of a negligent driver. The Morgan & Morgan trial team successfully argued that both defendants owed a duty to the plaintiff to settle his uninsured/underinsured motorist claim and failed to do so. The jury awarded the full $4.458 million for the plaintiffs past and future pain and suffering.  

The case, 2022-CA-004275, was heard in the Circuit Court of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, In and For Manatee County, Florida. State Farm was represented by Carrie Gil and Jesse Gubernat of Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. and Owners Insurance Company was represented by Vincent Frank Iacono of Iacono Law Firm, LLC.