Grefe & Sidney attorneys Andy Hall and Shannon Sole were awarded a defense verdict at trial in a negligence suit arising out of a car accident. Plaintiffs Lainda Drake and her daughter, Marcia Lewis, sued defendant Nancy Luncsford as a result of an accident which occurred in Des Moines, Iowa in July 2012. Ms. Drake’s sister, Brenda Gines, sued both Ms. Luncsford and Ms. Drake.
At trial, Hall displayed photographs of Ms. Luncsford’s vehicle, demonstrating that she had been hit in the center of her vehicle, or “T-boned” by Ms. Drake. Hall argued that Ms. Drake entered the intersection while the traffic signal in her direction was red, and failed to keep a proper lookout. Hall requested the jury find Ms. Drake 100% negligent for the accident and award plaintiffs no damages.
The jury returned a verdict in favor of Ms. Luncsford, and against Ms. Drake, finding Ms. Drake 100% at fault for failure to keep a proper lookout. The jury thus awarded no damages to Ms. Drake and Ms. Lewis. As to the claim of Ms. Gines, the jury awarded no damages, as the jury found Ms. Gines had not based her claim against Ms. Drake on “failure to keep a proper lookout.”