Arielle Rausin, 15, of Cape Coral, Fla. was awarded a $12.2 million verdict on February 12 after being paralyzed from the waist down in a 2003 car accident. Rausin was represented by Morgan & Morgan attorneys Scott Weinstein, Brian Vigness, and Keith Mitnik.
The car accident occurred on Thanksgiving Day 2003 when Joseph Dondero, Rausin’s grandfather, made a legal U-turn on State Road 50. Defendant Susan Rodgers, driving a Dodge Ram truck, rear-ended Dondero’s car at 55 mph. Arielle, now a freshman at North Fort Myers High School, was immediately paralyzed from the waist down. After nine days of testimony and evidence, an Orange County jury awarded her $12.2 million for her injuries and past and future damages. Marilyn Dondero, Arielle’s grandmother, was awarded $1 million for the broken back she suffered in the accident.
Although the defense attempted to argue that Dondero’s driving contributed to the accident, he was cleared of any negligence.
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