Luhrsen Law Group - Jury Verdict Against Hit and Run Driver
Jury slams hit and run driver with $471,708.77 verdict.
Published 2011-03-31 · Original archive entry · Explore research explainers
SARASOTA, FL, March 31, 2011
On March 16, 2011, a Polk County jury awarded Sarasota Attorney Jeffrey A. Luhrsen's 13 year old client $471,708.77 for injuries in a December, 2006 Fort Meade car crash.The defendant, Luis Guiterrez, broadsided the vehicle in which the then nine year old girl was riding while he was attempting an illegal pass in a residential area. The crash flipped the girl's vehicle over, crushing her hand between the roof and the pavement. Guiterrez stopped briefly but then fled without calling for help. Her hand crushed, the girl was unable to unlatch her own seatbelt, so she was left hanging upside down smelling gasoline fumes. Her psychologist testified she was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder manifested by recurring nightmares of being killed or left for dead in a crash, daytime flashbacks, and fear of heavy traffic among other things. The jury verdict included $250,000 for pain and suffering.
Noting that juries in Polk County are typically very conservative, trial attorney Jeff Luhrsen concluded that "[t]he jury, even in the face of a miraculous physical recovery, understood that this girl suffered real harm because of the defendant's reckless choices, first in trying an illegal pass and then in taking off and literally leaving a kid hanging on for life. They held him personally responsible."
Luhrsen Law Group is headquartered in Sarasota, Florida and handles cases throughout Florida. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Luhrsen and Julie S. Luhrsen concentrate on cases involving traffic safety, alcohol-related negligence, hit and run drivers, and underage drinking. For more information visit www.Luhrsen.com or call (866) 957-4878 or (941) 957-4878.