DOTHAN, Ala. - In the first case of its kind in years, a Henry County jury awarded traffic accident victim Jo Ann Culp $400,000 on Wednesday for critical injuries she suffered in a violent collision.
“This is an incredible display of empathy by those who listened to days of testimony and fully processed and appreciated the harms and losses suffered by our elderly client,” said Ben Irwin, Culp’s lead attorney.Her lawsuit stemmed from a February 4, 2018, wreck that occurred when the vehicle she drove was struck by another at the intersection of U.S. 431 and Henry County Road 22 in Headland.
Nathan Allen Key, the other driver, had been swerving at a high rate of speed and failed to heed a stop light as he drove north along four-laned 431, the lawsuit alleged. Culp’s was the first Henry County civil jury trial in four years and co-counsel Cal Whaley believes the verdict sends a strong message.
He said State Farm Insurance had offered a $19,300 settlement, but when the jury heard evidence, it awarded Culp $350,000 in compensatory damages and additional $50,000 in punitive damages.