MOTOR VEHICLE

PALM BEACH CIRCUIT COURT

A jury slapped a defendant with a bill for damages after he crashed into a woman's car in Palm Beach Gardens.

In April 2016, Phyllis Rich, 49, was in a midsize car on Lake Victoria Gardens Avenue. When she stopped at the red light at PGA Boulevard, she was rear-ended by Thomas Bond II. Rich claimed the impact injured her spine, causing multiple existing disc bulges to deteriorate into herniations, which required physical therapy and chiropractic treatment.

Bond conceded negligence but challenged Rich's claimed injuries. He argued they were pre-existing and degenerative, and noted Rich had been in car accidents before and after he struck her vehicle. The jury awarded Rich $30,000.

Case: Rich v. Bond

Case No.: 50-2017-CA-001978-XXXX-MB

Plaintiffs attorneys: Benjamin L. Moses and Dan W. Moses, The Moses Legal Team, Boca Raton

Defense attorneys: Paige H. Gillman and Julie M. Meyer, Law Office of Robert J. Smith, Fort Lauderdale