Johnson-Rankin v. Whiting

Augusta County Circuit Court 2007: My client was a passenger in the family’s pick-up, along with the rest of her family that was struck head-on on one of their neighborhood streets. The defendant had a blood alcohol content almost twice the legal limit. Client felt some neck stiffness after the accident, but notice no other symptoms until several months later she experienced short term memory loss, disorientation, sound sensitivity, fatigue and mood swings. Her life changed dramatically. She could no longer work as a bank teller and her family was concerned about the changes they saw in her. Finally, after seeing many doctors that could not determine her problem, she was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. At trial, the defense argued that my client was just depressed and she would be alright in a year. The jury returned a verdict for my client in the amount of $1.5 million.