So I didn’t post because I actually got on a jury, and I was pretty sure that we weren’t supposed to talk about any of that while actually on a jury. But the case is over now, and I don’t think there are any rules about what I’m allowed to say and not allowed to say anymore.
Basically the case involved an EMT vehicle hitting and rolling a truck in an intersection. The man in the truck suffered brain damage, and was suing the city of St. Louis for damages. He was an older man, around 69 when the accident happened 4 year ago.
In the end we decided to award the man with close to $900,000. But I say we loosely, because I didn’t sign the verdict. In a civil case the jury doesn’t have to all agree, and I didn’t.
Without going into the details, I felt like no one was negligent according to the definition that they gave us, and so I thought it was just an accident where no one was at fault, and no one should pay anything. The rest of the jury didn’t agree with me, but I don’t think they actually thought about the rules and definitions the judge gave us. In fact, I know they didn’t, because when I brought up those things, I was shouted down.
I think a couple of things played into this. A dislike of the city of St. Louis, and race issues. The man hit was black, the EMTs were white. A large percentage of the jury was black, and I hate to say it, but that played an issue. The most millitant people in shouting me down were black.
So I’ve lost a little bit of faith in the justice system. But I do feel self righteous in that I didn’t sign the verdict that I didn’t agree with. And overall I had a good time doing it. It was so different from my regular job, and was very interesting.
3 Comments
Thank you for sharing your experience. It is sad that race plays such a part in just about everything in the city of St. Louis, i.e., our school system, but there are many many good blacks and with the prejudiced ones, you can see how they feel because of past injustices. America is on such a kick of suing over everything. Accidents do happen, and for some it becomes a chance at grabbing the gold ring. That is why there are so many horrid, but funny, lawyer jokes. Again, there are many many very good lawyers. There are good and bad in everything. I am proud of you for serving, so many people just try to get out of it.
you get paid too, don’t you? maybe you could try to make this a full time gig…
I was in a very similar accident in Atlanta a few years ago. My car was struck by an ambulance (which was travelling the wrong way down a one way street and ran a stop light at 45 mph). It totaled my Volvo, but I was unhurt. Nobody was in the ambulance but the EMTs.
I was sued by one of the paramedics for negliegence to the tune of about $150k. Right after jury selection, the paramedic settled for less than $4k. take it for what it is worth….