Guy v. Martin

Case Background

Shadajua Guy filed an auto negligence lawsuit against Daniel Martin after she sustained serious injuries in a wrong-way head-on collision. The lawsuit was filed in the DeSoto County Circuit Court, Mississippi Seventeenth Judicial District. Judge Celeste Embrey Wilson presided over this lawsuit. [Case number: 22-429]

Cause

Shadajua Guy, 19 at the time, rode in a Hyundai sedan driven by her co-worker, Laquiria Page, on the night of September 14, 2021. During their lunch break, they had gone to a gas station for snacks. As they returned to work, they traveled east on Highway 32 near the Williams-Sonoma plant in Olive Branch. At that location, the highway had a divided layout.

Both Guy and Page noticed headlights in their lane. Page tried to steer right to avoid the oncoming vehicle but could not. A pickup truck, driven by Daniel Martin, collided with them nearly head-on. The crash severely damaged the Hyundai. Emergency responders had to cut Guy out of the wreckage.

Damages

Guy sustained severe injuries in the crash and accumulated $779,755 in medical expenses.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

Legal Representation

  • Plaintiff(s): Shadajua Guy
    • Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Melissa R. Wigginton | Brandon S. Leslie | Goodloe T. Lewis
  • Defendant(s): Daniel Martin
    • Counsel for Defendant(s): Martin Zummach

Claims

Guy filed a lawsuit against Martin, seeking damages for the crash. Her argument was straightforward—he drove the wrong way and hit Page’s vehicle. Farm Bureau, Guy’s insurer, joined the case after paying $25,000 on her behalf.

Defense

Martin denied being in the wrong lane. He argued that the Plaintiffs were rushing back to work and that Page made a wrong turn as a result. Their short break required them to drive eight miles to the store, shop quickly, and return in limited time.

Jury Verdict

The trial lasted two days in Hernando. On November 13, 2024, the jury returned a defense verdict in Martin’s favor, awarding the Plaintiff no damages. The court entered a judgment for the defense.

Post-trial Motions

Guy requested a judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV), arguing that both she and Page were certain Martin had been in the wrong lane. She also pointed out that after the crash, his vehicle faced the wrong direction and remained in the wrong lane. Farm Bureau supported her motion.

Martin opposed the request, stating that the vehicles’ final positions did not prove fault. He repeated his claim that the Plaintiffs were likely rushing back to work and had entered the wrong lane. He also emphasized that the jury had unanimously ruled in his favor. The court scheduled a hearing on the motion for February 20, 2025.

Court Documents:

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