Goings Law Firm, LLC Wins $12.5 Million Verdict for Injured Client

COLUMBIA, S.C., Oct. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Personal injury attorneys Robert F. Goings and Jessica L. Gooding of Columbia-based Goings Law Firm, LLC, secured a massive $12,500,000.00 million verdict from a Richland County, South Carolina jury for their client, a South Carolina highway construction worker who was severely injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver in 2018.  This is the largest verdict in Richland County history against a drunk driver.

After just three hours of deliberations, the jury awarded Mr. Bookman $3.5 million in damages and $9 million in punitive damages. A toxicologist who testified in trial determined the drunk driver had a blood-alcohol content of over .20 at the time of the collision, nearly three times the legal limit. He estimated that the drunk driver had consumed at least 14 alcoholic drinks in the hours before the collision.

The collision occurred on the northbound side of I-77 near the Garners Ferry Road exit in Columbia as a result of the drunk driver rear-ended Mr. Bookman's work truck. The collision left Bookman with neck, shoulder, and lower back injuries with multiple orthopedic surgeries costing approximately $380,000 in medical expenses. The drunk driver has a history of prior incidences of drinking and driving, including being arrested for driving under the influence approximately 6 months before this collision. 

In closing arguments, Mr. Goings told the jury to "return a verdict that is big enough to make it in the newspaper," and "To send a message to any drunk driver that is out there that drunk driving is not tolerated in Richland County -- that our lives are worth more than to be endangered by a reckless, careless drunk driver." 

Steven Burritt, the executive director of MADD (Mothers Against Drinking and Driving) in South Carolina, indicated that the verdict was an unprecedented result. 

"I can't recall hearing anything that large in a DUI case," Mr. Burritt said. "That jury took the opportunity to express how serious this crime is, and how frustrating it is to see this kind of behavior, which puts us all at risk. The jurors said, 'here's something we can do -- we can send a message."

Contact Goings Law Firm, LLC

The trial attorneys at the Goings Law Firm, LLC fight to protect the values of South Carolina and represent the interests of South Carolinians. Contact us at (803) 350-9230 or visit our website at www.goingslawfirm.com to learn more about our team and our legal services. 

Contact: Shea Benedict, [email protected]

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