Suquet v. Southern Wast Management, et. al.
Apr 05, 2013OUTCOME: $1,640,000 verdict for plaintiff
In March 2006, Laurie Suquet of Boca Raton, Fla. was making a U-turn on Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach when she was violently T-boned by a roll-off dump truck operated by Ricky Lee Mann. Suquet ... sustained multiple rib fractures and first responders used the Jaws of Life to extricate her from her vehicle. She did not complain of any lower back pain until five months later. Ultimately she underwent a 2-level lumbar spine fusion surgery and had a spinal cord simulator implanted in her lower back. At trial, the defense hotly contested liability, causation and the plaintiff’s damages. The defense claimed Suquet violated Mann’s right of way, and that her lower back condition was the result of pre-existing degeneration in her back. After sifting through three weeks of evidence, the jury determined that Mann operated his vehicle in a negligent manner, which contributed to the crash. They returned a verdict in her favor for approximately $1.64 million.
