Roberts Perryman Wins Zero Defense Verdict for Trucking Client, TMC Transportation
Defense Law Articles
November 14, 2017 - St. Louis, Missouri - Ted Perryman and Korissa Zickrick, of Roberts Perryman PC, obtained a “take nothing” zero verdict in the 8th District Court, Eastern Missouri on October 19th, 2017, for TMC Transportation headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa . The trial took four days to complete with the jury deliberating less than an hour and a half before returning a unanimous defense verdict for TMC and their driver. The firm Gray Ritter and Graham represented the plaintiff who sustained extensive head injuries in the accident. The initial demand was $2,000,000. In June of this year, Gray Ritter and Graham won a jury verdict of over $217,000,000.
The allegations by the plaintiff were that TMC’s driver was not observing the standard of care for the weather and road conditions. The plaintiff’s vehicle, driven by her husband, unexpectedly lost control, hit a median and then spun back out in front of the truck driver who had other passenger vehicles traveling beside him. Specifically, speed and lane position for the road conditions were called into question by the plaintiff’s counsel. Graham and his co-counsel, John Hess of Rice, Spath, Summers & Heisserer of Cape Girardeau, argued that for the weather and road conditions the TMC driver was negligent and would not have hit the plaintiff, whose vehicle lost control in front of the truck driver, if the driver had been going slower and in the far right lane.
Plaintiff’s counsel failed to prove negligence on TMC’s behalf. The Roberts Perryman duo carefully examined and refuted each claim against TMC and the driver, prevailing that the plaintiff’s husband was the cause of both accidents, not the just the one in question. The jury agreed unanimously that the defendant, TMC Transportation, was blameless in the accident that occurred and granted no award to the plaintiff.
Ted L. Perryman has tried numerous jury cases in the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Madison County and St. Clair County, as well a Federal Court. Ted’s litigation experience ranges from premises to products liability, with a primary focus on trucking. Ted was named The Best Lawyers in America 2017 "Lawyer of the Year" for Insurance Litigation in St. Louis, Missouri. Additionally, Ted holds a Class A Commercial Driver’s License.
Korissa Zickrick, a partner at Roberts Perryman, has experience in the defense and settlement of all aspects of insurance defense including trucking litigation, products liability, bodily injury claims, wrongful death, subrogation and slip and fall claims. In 2010, Korissa graduated from NuWay Truck School in St. Louis, Missouri and obtained her Commercial Driver’s License. With this experience, Korissa advises clients in all areas related to trucking and trucking accidents.
Roberts Perryman is an “AV” rated law firm that has been recognized as a leader in providing experienced legal services to clients for over 50 years. The attorneys at Roberts Perryman primarily focus on transportation defense as well as insurance defense and coverage.
Roberts Perryman is a member of The International Society of Primerus Law Firms.
Contact:
Ted Perryman
Roberts Perryman