Oatis v. Robert

On January 10, 2024, the Louisiana jury returned the verdict in favor of the Plaintiff Stacey Oatis, and awarded her $1.4 million in damages in the present auto negligence lawsuit.

Case Background

Plaintiff Stacey Oatis filed an auto negligence suit against Defendant Daniella Robert before the Louisiana District Court, New Orleans. Judge Omar K Mason presided over this case. [Case number: 17-9918]

Cause

Stacy Oatis, aged 43 at the time, was traveling on U.S. 90 on November 21, 2016. As traffic slowed down, she was rear-ended by Daniella Robert in a BMW sedan while driving her Chevrolet sedan. The collision was moderate, and no injuries were reported at the scene. The fault was undisputed.

The following day, Oatis sought medical attention at Daughters of Charity Hospital due to experiencing “tingling” in her neck. After evaluation, she was treated and discharged. Several months later, an MRI revealed a disc herniation at the L5-S1 level.

Oatis filed a lawsuit alleging auto negligence against Daniella Robert, who was insured by State Farm of Texas with policy limits of $250,000. Oatis also held an uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) policy with State Farm, also capped at $250,000. Both State Farm and State Farm of Texas were Defendants in the trial.

Injury

As a result of the accident on November 21, 2016, the Plaintiff claimed to have developed an L5-S1 disc herniation. Subsequently, she started receiving treatment from pain management physician Dr. Patrick Waring. This treatment regimen consisted of two epidural steroid injections (ESIs), a medial branch block, and five radiofrequency ablation (RFA) procedures.

Damages

The Plaintiff sought a judgment against the Defendants and prayed for damages in past and future medical expenses as well as non-economic damages in five separate categories.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

Legal Representation

  • Plaintiff: Stacey Oatis
    • Counsel for Plaintiff: Matthew Rice Bourque | Brent P. Frederick
  • Defendant: Daniella Robert | State Farm of Texas
    • Counsel for Defendant: K. Randall Evans | Evans and Clesi
    • Experts for Defendants: Dr. Ralph Katz

Defense

The Defendants refuted the claims of negligence made against them, arguing that Oatis had not suffered a serious injury. They pointed out that there was no apparent injury at the scene and highlighted that Oatis maintained her usual daily activities without interruption.

Expert Testimony

The Defendants used an Independent Medical Examination (IME) conducted by Dr. Ralph Katz, an orthopedic specialist from Marrero. However, even the Defendant’s expert, Katz, had admitted that Plaintiff would require a facet fusion surgery.

Jury Verdict

On January 10, 2024, a Louisiana jury found the issues in favor of Plaintiff Oatis. The trial spanned three days. The jury awarded $67,013 for past medical expenses and $234,777 for future medical costs. Non-economic damages amounted to $1.1 million, comprising $300,000 each for past and future pain and suffering. Additionally, $200,000 was awarded for past mental anguish and an additional $100,000 for future mental anguish. Lastly, Oatis received $200,000 for loss of enjoyment of life.

Overall, the total verdict was $1,401,790 in damages for Oatis.

Defendant Daniella Robert filed a motion for a new trial after the verdict.

Court Documents:

Available upon request