Congratulations to Katie Frechette and her Bucks County jury win last week

Congratulations to Katie Frechette and her Bucks County jury win last week, only the third jury trial held since mid-March.  The case was tried before 8 jurors, as Bucks County is unable to properly socially distance 12 in the box. The jury was required to wear masks at all times.  Counsel were required to make use of the technological courtroom, as it was prohibited to approach witnesses or the jury. Counsel were also required to remove their masks for questioning, as were witnesses, who testified from behind Plexiglas. All expert testimony was via Zoom.

The jury awarded only $17,000 of $835,600 boarded in future medical expenses, and did not award any damages for pain and suffering in a rear end, full tort case. Plaintiff alleged a traumatic disc herniation with radiculopathy, traumatic right carpal tunnel syndrome and aggravation of pre-existing degenerative disc disease in her neck with acute radiculopathy, for which she treated more than two years, with no indication of any resolution of her complaints. Plaintiff averred all three injuries required surgeries, as well as 24 additional years of future physical therapy, injections, diagnostic testing, and prescription medication.

While the procedural nature of the trial was quite different from the norm, the result was another win for Bennett Bricklin.