Co-Counsel
Schultz, et al vs. Great Plains Trucking, Inc. et al – Jury Verdict
On Friday, August 5, 2022, a St. Charles County, MO jury agreed to hold a Kansas trucking company responsible for the death of a 19-year-old, returning a verdict of $20,025,000.00.
Attorneys Toni Schlapprizzi and Craig Schlapprizzi of Schlapprizzi Attorneys at Law represented the mother while Firm attorneys Chris Finney and Alex Ledbetter co-counseled the case representing the young man’s father.
On August 6, 2019, “Junior” was traveling in the passenger seat of the family vehicle on Hwy-70 when the SUV was struck by a semi-truck causing catastrophic injury to Junior and ultimately his death.
The trucking company denied culpability in Junior’s death. They offered $0 to settle the case and an alternative explanation for the young man’s passing, blaming his mother, the SUV driver.
Three years after his death, our St. Charles truck accident attorneys stood toe-to-toe with the defense counsel in a St. Charles county courtroom. The days were long filled with expert and witness testimonies, photo and video exhibits, and statements. The jury worked well into the evening on the fifth and final day; at 11 pm, they rendered their verdict: $20,025,000.00.
We cannot say enough about the people of St. Charles who served and worked on this jury. They gave of themselves to arrive at this verdict and received nothing in return. It’s incredibly selfless and humbling to watch.
Money will never replace the loss of a child, but we are incredibly grateful to the jury and couldn’t be happier for our clients, especially the mother who was blamed for her son’s death for three years by the defense.