Defense Verdict in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County

On August 14, 2024, Stewart McCloud and Will Thompson obtained a defense verdict in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County in favor of Joyride Tuscaloosa, LLC, a transportation service company which operates a fleet of specially licensed low-speed vehicles in and around the campus of The University of Alabama. The Plaintiff claimed that in October 2019, she was ejected from one of the vehicles when the driver made an allegedly dangerous and unnecessary turn. According to the Plaintiff, the accident caused her a lingering head injury, permanent scarring on her face, mental anguish, and emotional distress. She brought claims against Joyride of negligence and wantonness.

The evidence at trial established that Joyride not only operated the vehicles, but installed various safety features and warnings inside the vehicles that would have prevented the very accident that caused the Plaintiff’s injuries. The defense argued that Plaintiff’s own negligence contributed to the accident, and further argued that the Plaintiff’s failure to heed these warnings and wear her seat belt caused her to be ejected from the vehicle. After the parties rested, the Court granted a motion for judgment as a matter of law filed by Joyride on Plaintiff’s wantonness claim, leaving only the negligence claim to be resolved by the jury. Ultimately, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of Joyride on the Plaintiff’s negligence claim.