Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com.
Help support the publication of case reports on MoreLaw
Date: 08-10-2024
Case Style:
Sandra CHAPPELL, Administrator of the Estate of Susan Renee Chappell v. Shemaro Deann WEBB and LaDorothy Breanna Foreman
Case Number:
Judge:
Court: Superior Court, Franklin County, North Carolina
Plaintiff's Attorney:
Click Here For The Best Louisburg Lawyer Directory
Defendant's Attorney: Mitchell H. Blankeship, Rodney A. Guthrie, and Joshua H. Bennett
Description:
Louisburg, North Carolina personal injury lawyer represented the Plaintiff who sued on an auto negligence theory.
On the evening of 18 September 2020, Defendant Shemaro Deann Webb was driving a Nissan Altima southbound on US Highway 401 toward Raleigh while under the influence of alcohol. Defendant LaDorothy Breanna Foreman was a passenger and owned the Nissan Altima.
On the same highway, Susan Renee Chappell was driving northbound.
At some point, Defendant Webb crossed the center line of the highway while attempting to pass another southbound vehicle in a no-passing zone. Her vehicle collided head-on with Ms. Chappell's vehicle in the northbound lane. Ms. Chappell died later that night due to injuries sustained in the accident.
Plaintiff Sandra Chappell, as the administrator of Ms. Chappell's estate, brought a wrongful death suit against Defendants, seeking to recover damages pursuant to North Carolina's wrongful death statutes. Plaintiff alleged that Defendant Webb was negligent in driving the vehicle and that Defendant Foreman was negligent by entrusting Defendant Webb with her vehicle.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury returned verdicts against Defendants. The jury found Defendants jointly and severally liable for $15 million in compensatory damages. The jury found the driver Defendant Webb liable for $5 million in punitive damages and the vehicle owner Defendant Foreman liable for $20 million in punitive damages. The trial court entered a judgment consistent with the verdicts. Defendants moved for post-trial relief from the judgment. Defendant Foreman separately moved for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict (“JNOV”). The trial court denied both motions. Defendants appeal.
Outcome: Plaintiff's verdict for $40 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments:
Find a Lawyer
Find a Case
