In this vehicle collision dispute, defense attorneys James Perkins and Brittany Auchard of Colman Perkins Law Group earned a 12-0 jury verdict in Kern County Superior Court. They represented Three-Way Chevrolet and the driver of the company’s pickup truck.

The May 2016 crash occurred on Pacheco Road in Bakersfield, California. The defendant driver was on the job and driving Three-Way Chevrolet’s 2011 pickup. The plaintiff’s husband was driving a GMC Denali with the plaintiff in the passenger seat.

Multiple versions of the story

Parties and witnesses told conflicting versions of the accident, and liability would hinge on their collective credibility. Plaintiff contended the defendant was at fault for driving recklessly and that speed was a factor in the accident.

Plaintiff also insisted the accident caused injuries that led her to get cervical fusion surgery and lumbar fusion surgery.

Refuting plaintiff’s shaky narrative

The defense disputed the accusations of reckless driving, speeding, liability for the collision and that the accident prompted the need for the plaintiff’s surgeries.

Our team also poked holes in accounts by plaintiff’s eyewitnesses. We pointed out their longtime friendships with the plaintiff and how they claimed to be on the accident scene entirely by happenstance. We argued that they did not witness the collision.

Plaintiff yawns at $50,000 settlement

In April 2021, defendants had offered $50,000 to settle the case. Plaintiff wasn’t interested and demanded $300,000.

During the closing argument of this two-week trial, plaintiff’s counsel asked the jury to award plaintiff $20 million for pain and suffering.

Two hours of deliberation later, jurors voted unanimously for the defense. Defendants’ cost bill for $52,869 is pending.

Learn more
Recent CPLG cases and verdicts
About attorney James Perkins
About attorney Brittany Auchard