Bailey & Greer, PLLC Secures $4.5 Million Verdict in Fatal Little Rock Motorcycle Case

Bailey & Greer, PLLC secured a significant jury verdict in a fatal motorcycle accident claim in Little Rock, AK. Partner Thomas Greer, along with associate Baker Yates, represented the family and obtained a jury verdict of $4.5 million. Deliberations took less than 90 minutes.

The facts of the case are this. Our client, the decedent – we’ll call him “John Doe” – was driving north on his motorcycle. A man driving a van for Global Wireless Solutions was attempting to cross four lanes of traffic and a turning lane, from west to east. The defendant (the van driver) knew his view was obstructed to the south by an 18 wheeler parked in the turning lane facing north, thus blocking defendant’s view of northbound traffic.

The van driver was leaving the parking lot of a gas station and heading towards a McDonald’s, for the sole purpose of going to the restroom. He said the gas station was too crowded for him to have gotten gas and used the restroom all within 15 minutes, and he would have to call a supervisor if his break went over 15 minutes and wouldn’t get paid. Mr. Greer argued that this was the van driver’s motive for his unsafe conduct – conduct that caused the death of our client’s loved one.

The defense blamed the 18-wheeler for illegally parking in the turn lane; the unknown truck driver left the scene after the wreck, which was painted as an admission of fault by the defense. However, there was an independent witness who said the trucker was there and that he blew the horn to warn the defendant, though the defendant denied hearing a horn.

Defense also hired an accident reconstructionist to try to shift blame to John Doe, claiming Mr. Doe was speeding. Mr. Greer argued he was not – that John Doe was an experienced and safe motorcycle rider. He was not riding a bike built for speeding or racing; he was operating a Harley Davidson cruiser. Our expert dismantled the defense expert’s math error, and then showed two more ways of calculating the correct speed.

How the jury reached their verdict

This case was tried in federal district court in Little Rock, AR.

The jury deliberated for about an hour and twenty minutes.  The jury found for our client, and determined that the van driver – not Mr. Doe, and not the unknown trucker – were liable for the death of our client.

This was a challenging case, but we are so happy that justice prevailed. No amount of money can ever make up for the loss of your loved one, but it can send a message that wrongdoers must be held accountable. It can also help you protect your family’s future. We are so proud of Thomas Greer and Baker Yates for helping ensure that our client’s family has the closure it needs.