Bell Secures Pre-trial and Trial Wins for Corporate Defendant
Senior Associate Kayla Bell secured a win for an automotive repair company after a two (2) day trial in Houston County. Plaintiff had brought claims under the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act, which would have allowed for treble damages, as well as punitive damages. The Court granted defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment on those claims prior to trial. Pre-trial, the Court also ruled in favor of defendant’s Motion for Sanctions, finding plaintiff had destroyed or failed to preserve evidence. At trial, Kayla obtained a directed verdict as to plaintiff’s tort claim, leaving only a breach of contract claim for the jury to consider. After just 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of $2,000, which will be offset by enforcement of a statutory Offer of Settlement that leaves plaintiff on the hook for the corporate defendant’s attorney’s fees.