BENTON – Judges held two civil trials at once in U.S. district court, two more than they held in a year, and jurors awarded modest sums to plaintiffs in both.
Jurors of District Judge Staci Yandle awarded $145,000 to Denis Elkaz in a collision suit against Melton Truck Lines of Catoosa, Okla. and driver James Ranspot.
Jurors of Magistrate Judge Reona Daly awarded $30,000 to Lea Cain of Jefferson County in an overtime pay lawsuit against Sam Patel, owner of Motel 6 in Mount Vernon.
The collision in the case before Yandle happened on Interstate 70 in Effingham County in 2017, involving parties from other states.
On July 6, lawyers picked eight jurors.
Randy Wallace of Berkley, Mich., opened for Elkaz, and Joseph Swift of St. Louis opened for Melton Truck Lines and Ranspot.
Jurors watched video of a physician for more than two hours, and the next day they watched a physician and a scientist for about an hour and a half each.
Elkaz testified in person for about two and a half hours.
A scientist testified for him by video for more than an hour on July 8, and he rested.
Two physicians testified for Melton Truck Lines and Ranspot for about half an hour each, and the defense rested at noon.
Wallace and Swift closed after lunch, and jurors retired at 2:26 p.m.
At 3:35 p.m., they awarded Elkaz $75,000 for medical care, $30,000 for lost earnings, $20,000 for emotional distress, and $20,000 for pain and suffering.
They awarded nothing on a claim for loss of normal life.
In Daly’s overtime case, lawyers picked seven jurors on July 6.
MaryAnne Quill of St. Louis opened for Cain and Shari Rhode of Carbondale opened for Patel.
Daly read a stipulation that Patel hired Cain in 2013, and still employed her.
Cain testified for more than two and a half hours, and continued for almost an hour on July 7.
Three witnesses testified for her in about an hour, and she rested.
After lunch, Patel testified for about two and a half hours.
He called Cain to the stand at 3:58 p.m., and her testimony lasted 11 minutes.
When she finished, he rested.
On July 8, Sarah Hunt of St. Louis closed for Cain and Rhode closed for Patel.
The jury retired at noon and returned with a $30,000 verdict at 2:04 p.m.
They awarded damages for a period from Dec. 20, 2017, to Dec. 20, 2019.
They would have awarded damages for three years if they found Patel’s failure to pay overtime was willful, but on that question they marked X on a No line.