Piazza v. Rycars Construction

Case Background

Michelle Piazza filed a personal injury lawsuit seeking damages after she suffered injuries when a construction forklift at a “sally gate” struck her prison transport van. The lawsuit was filed in the Louisiana District Court, Orleans Parish. Judge Sidney H. Cates, IV presided over this lawsuit. [Case number: 19–6880]

Cause

On July 2, 2018, Michelle Piazza, 38, worked as a prison guard at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola. Her job required her to operate a transport van, regularly moving prisoners around the facility. That day, she transported two prisoners to the prison’s medical center.

As Piazza approached the medical center’s sally gate, she noticed a forklift nearby. She parked and observed Kenneth Steptoe operating the forklift as part of a construction project for Rycars Construction.

As Steptoe exited the sally gate, he drove the forklift into Piazza’s transport van, striking it nearly head-on. The impact was severe. Piazza had seen the forklift approaching and attempted to reverse, but she could not avoid the crash. The forklift carried a large box, which fell upon impact and damaged the van’s windshield.

Injury

Piazza went through an extensive and complicated treatment process. Initially, she visited her primary care doctor, Dr. Dixie Clement, complaining of worsening pain from an ankle fracture she had suffered in May 2018.

In September 2020, she received an epidural steroid injection for lower back pain and underwent shoulder surgery. Her treatment continued, and in February 2022, she had a two-level lumbar fusion. Despite these procedures, she still received treatment for SI joint pain.

Damages

Piazza’s doctors anticipated that she would need extensive future medical care. She was recommended two additional surgeries: an SI joint fusion and an L3-4 fusion.

Her medical expenses totaled $281,809, and future care costs were estimated at $730,000. In addition to her medical claims, Piazza sought compensation for lost wages. Although she remained employed in corrections, she transitioned to a sedentary role in job recruitment. If she won the case, she pursued both economic and non-economic damages.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

Legal Representation

  • Plaintiff(s): Michelle Piazza
    • Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Cory P. Roy | Robert M. Marionneaux, Jr.
  • Defendant(s): Kenneth Steptoe | Louisiana State Penitentiary
    • Counsel for Defendant(s): Jack E. “Bobby” Truitt | Michael “Trey” St. Romain
    • Experts for Defendant(s): Dr. John Burvant | Dan Cliffe | Stacie Nunez

Claims

Piazza filed a lawsuit against Steptoe and his employer, seeking damages for the incident. She alleged negligence, stating that Steptoe improperly exited the sally gate and struck her vehicle.

Defense

Several events complicated Piazza’s case. In addition to the July 2018 crash, she sustained multiple injuries while working with juveniles. In January 2020, she was involved in an altercation with juvenile offenders. A more serious incident occurred in May 2021 when a juvenile attacked her.

The defense denied liability for the crash, arguing that Steptoe had permission to exit the sally gate. They claimed the collision happened because Piazza had parked in the wrong location. As a result, the jury could assign fault to both Piazza and others responsible for directing traffic at the sally gate.

This history became central to the defense’s argument. Rycars Construction reviewed her prior injuries and linked them to her medical treatment. They pointed out that her care for shoulder and lower back pain increased after those incidents.

Regarding damages, the defense claimed the forklift crash caused only a temporary soft-tissue injury that lasted a few months.

Expert Testimony

The defense called Dr. John Burvant, an orthopedic specialist from Metairie, as their expert witness. He testified that Piazza’s injuries included only a brief aggravation of her ankle fracture and a minor cervical strain. He also stated that her shoulder injury resulted from degenerative conditions and other unrelated incidents.

Rycars Construction also presented two additional experts to challenge Piazza’s damage claims. Economist Dan Cliffe evaluated financial losses, while vocational expert Stacie Nunez assessed her ability to work.

Jury Verdict

The trial lasted four days. On November 22, 2024, the jury returned a mixed verdict, finding Steptoe, “others,” and Piazza at fault. It assigned 90% of the blame to Steptoe and 10% to others, with no fault attributed to Piazza.

The jury then decided damages. Piazza received the full $281,809 in medical expenses she claimed, plus an additional $90,000 for future medical care. She was awarded $20,000 each for lost wages and future lost wages, bringing total economic damages to $411,809.

For non-economic damages, the jury awarded her $520,000 across four categories while rejecting three others. She received $100,000 for past suffering, $100,000 for past mental anguish, $20,000 for loss of enjoyment of life, and $300,000 for permanent disability. The jury awarded nothing for future suffering, future mental anguish, or scarring.

Piazza’s total verdict amounted to $931,809.

Court Documents:

Documents are available for purchase upon request at jurimatic@exlitem.com