9/13/2010
In February 2006 a St. Louis County jury (usually a considered a conservative venue) awarded Curtis Cooper, age 43, a verdict of $170,000.00 for back and neck injuries. The plaintiff was stopped at a red light on Highway 40 at the intersection with Highway K (prior to the intersection being changed) when he was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer operated by Tiger Truck Lines and driven by Zlatko Rasmusevic.
Cooper had pre-existing conditions of osteomyelitis and degenerative disc disease for which he had received treatment for many years prior to the accident. The plaintiff claimed that the rear-end accident with the truck “aggravated” his prior condition causing soft tissue injuries as well as a “bulging disc”. Medical specials were $16,793.00 and no wage loss. Last demand prior to trial was $75,000.00. Last offer was $45,000.00. The jury returned a verdict of $170,000.00 and the Court awarded pre-judgment interest of $26,000.00.