Jury Awards $1 Million in Florida Car Crash Negligence Case

Case Background

This Courtroom drama unfolded in Jacksonville, Florida, concluding a nearly two-and-a-half-year legal battle that started with a motor vehicle accident in April 2022. Plaintiff Lathen Jarrard Bromell initiated the lawsuit against Defendant John Latulippe in the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Duval County, asserting that Latulippe’s careless driving had irrevocably damaged his life and health.

The legal action centered on a morning collision that occurred on April 7, 2022. Bromell, driving a Chevrolet Malibu, had been traveling southbound on a public roadway when Latulippe's actions allegedly caused the severe crash. Bromell’s subsequent complaint, filed in August 2022, detailed the physical, mental, and financial toll the accident took. The Defendant, while acknowledging his involvement in the collision, emphatically denied that his conduct constituted legal negligence or that the Plaintiff’s injuries rose to the permanent level required for compensation under Florida law. The core conflict was not about whether the cars touched, but whether the crash caused a lasting, permanent injury that Florida law recognized.

Cause

The single cause of action the Plaintiff pursued against Latulippe was negligence. Bromell’s legal team argued that Latulippe had breached his fundamental duty to operate his motor vehicle in a safe and prudent manner, as required by law. They contended that Latulippe’s failure to maintain control of his vehicle, adhere to traffic laws, or exercise reasonable care in the circumstances directly caused the impact. This carelessness, the Plaintiffs asserted, constituted the sole, actual, and legal cause of all of Bromell’s resulting physical and economic harm.

Injury

As a direct consequence of the collision, Bromell suffered serious bodily harm, leading to chronic physical symptoms. The Plaintiff claimed the injuries were so severe that they resulted in continuing pain and suffering, permanent disability, and a lasting