Audrey Tolson, was honored in the "Georgia Verdict Hall of Fame" for her representation in the premises liability case, Warren Shulman v. Georgia Department of Transportation, CW Matthews Inc. and Arcadis U.S. Inc.
Tolson, a lead Atlanta malpractice attorney at The Tolson Firm, LLC, co-counseled the case with James N. Sadd, where they represented Warren Shulman. The man was injured due to a third party's negligence. The case received the fourth largest verdict in Georgia in 2012, with the verdict granting their plaintiff $7,600,000 for his injuries that occurred while bicycling across a Georgia bridge.
The plaintiff, a 65 year old man, was among dozens of other bikers enjoying a Sunday morning bike ride on Sunday June 1, 2008. While the plaintiff was crossing the bridge, his tire became caught in an open longitude joint that resulted in catastrophic and permanent injuries to his head, neck, collar bone, and C4 and C7 vertebrae. The plaintiff also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and has continuous pain in his hands, left leg and foot, as well as difficulty swallowing.
The joint that caused the accident was part of the bridge's original design, stretching 300 feet alongside the roadway and was intended to reduce vibration. Through vigorous litigation, it was found that in the design plans the joint was only supposed to be one inch wide; however, after construction the joint was 2.25 inches wide.
Previous Accident Exposes Greater Negligence
During litigation, it was also discovered that a previous accident occurred in November 2007 due to the same joint. Since then, there had been no action to repair or warn people of the existing hazard. After deliberating, the jury agreed that the plaintiff's injuries amounted to $7,600,000, finding that Georgia Department of Transportation was 60% liable, while the engineering firm, Arcadis, was 40% liable. The total amount awarded in the case was $4,040,000 due to Georgia's state exposure that is limited to $1 million.
Attorney Tolson will be among other honorees at the Verdicts Hall of Fame reception and dinner on December 3.
If you or a loved one is suffering from injuries due negligence by a third party, Call The Tolson Firm, LLC to speak with an Atlanta injury attorney and receive expert representation for your case.