Waynesboro City Circuit Court 2005: Ms. Cash was the third car in a three-car collision on Hopeman Parkway. The force of the collision broke her seat back. She was initially diagnosed with low back strain. Her prior medical history included back pain and diabetes. The low back pain became debilitating and two months after the wreck she lost her job as a human resource administrator. Physical therapy and injections did not ease her pain. Her treating physician testified that he was unable to determine what was causing her pain.
The defense argued that her injury was minor and only required about eight weeks to heal. The defense’s hired doctor testified that Ms. Cash most likely had fibromyalgia before the wreck and that there was no reason that she could not return to work. Before the trial, the insurance company offered $6,000. During the Court’s lunch break, they offered $40,000 which Ms. Cash declined. The jury returned a verdict for $450,000. This verdict was one of the largest ever personal injury verdicts in Waynesboro.