Gutknecht
St. Clair County Associate Judge Vincent Lopinot entered a judgment March 20 of $236,000 in favor of personal injury plaintiff James McDaniel and against defendant Chad Crank.
According to McDaniel's lawsuit filed last October, he suffered substantial injuries when Crank shattered bones in his arm with a fire poker while in the process of assaulting another person attending a social gathering in Collinsville on Oct. 10, 2010.
McDaniel claimed he incurred $40,000 in medical bills.
The amount in the award also included an allotment for lost earnings, past pain and suffering, future pain and suffering and court costs.
McDaniel received $42,567 for medical expenses; $12,585 for lost earnings; $5,000 for disfigurement; $25,000 for loss of normal life; $100,000 for past pain and suffering; $50,000 for future pain and suffering; and $431.30 for court costs.
"The court finds based upon the verified pleadings, evidence presented, and affidavits, if any, that Judgment should be entered in favor of plaintiff and against Defendant Chad Crank," Lopinot wrote in his judgment.
The complaint states that Crank was swinging a fire poker when he accidentally struck McDaniel's arm.
Timothy Gutknecht of Stumpf & Gutknecht in Columbia represented the plaintiff.
St. Clair County Case Number 11-L-569