Stefanie Capps and Emily Huang from our Ft. Myers office successfully defended a hotly contested liability case in a five-day jury trial, securing a full defense verdict for our client. The case arose from a serious on-site incident involving a tractor trailer driver who was partially buried in soil during a routine loading operation.

The driver had entered the back of his trailer to secure a tarp prior to our client, operating a front loader, beginning the soil dumping process. A light breeze caused the trailer’s large rear door to close behind the driver, leaving him trapped inside—completely unbeknownst to our client. As loading commenced, soil was deposited into the trailer, ultimately burying the driver up to his waist.

Despite seeking multiple millions of dollars in damages and arguing that our client should have taken additional steps to ensure the trailer was clear, the jury found no negligence on our client’s part.

Plaintiff brought four attorneys to trial and employed a broad range of tactics—including efforts to question the background and immigration status of workers on the site. The jury, however, was not persuaded.

Stefanie and Emily’s clear, fact-driven defense and effective trial strategy were key to this successful outcome.