Christopher Coffee v. Randal White

Case Background

Christopher Coffee sued Randal White for damages after a devastating motor vehicle accident caused by White’s drunk driving. The collision left Coffee with severe injuries and extensive losses.

Although the crash happened in Kansas, Coffee filed the case in Missouri’s Sixteenth Circuit Court, located in Jackson County. The decision to file there stemmed from White’s driver’s license, which listed Jackson County as his place of residence. Judge Kenneth Garrett III oversaw the case. [Case No. 2216-CV02385]

Cause

The case arose from a November 2021 accident at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Hilltop Road in Shawnee, Kansas. Plaintiff Christopher Coffee entered the intersection on a yellow left-turn arrow, which turned red after his car passed the stop bar. Defendant Randal White, traveling westbound on Shawnee Mission Parkway, collided with Coffee as he completed his left turn onto Hilltop Road.

The Shawnee Police Department’s accident reconstruction determined that both vehicles were legally in the intersection at the time of the crash. Investigators found that White had initially stopped at a red light on Shawnee Mission Parkway, 0.3 miles from the crash site. When the light turned green, White accelerated rapidly.

Data from White’s vehicle showed he was traveling 76 miles per hour two seconds before the crash, exceeding the 55 mph speed limit. White did not apply the brakes until 0.5 seconds before the collision. At the time of impact, White’s light had just turned green. The police concluded the primary causes of the crash were White’s excessive speed and intoxication.

Injury

Coffee sustained multiple injuries in the accident, including a perforated bowel that required a colostomy, a fractured shoulder blade, a broken nose, facial cuts, and a brain hemorrhage. One year later, Coffee attempted to reverse the colostomy. However, extensive scar tissue made the procedure unsuccessful, leaving the colostomy permanent.

Damages

Coffee sought both special and general damages.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

Legal Representation

  • Plaintiff(s): Christopher Coffee
    • Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Blake Green | Eric Playter
  • Defendant(s): Randal White
    • Counsel for Defendant(s): Brad Tuck
    • Experts for Defendant(s): Kevin Johnson

Key Arguments and Remarks by Counsel

The Plaintiff’s counsel argued that the Defendant should bear 90 percent of the fault, as he refused to admit he was driving. The defense, however, contended that White had a green light and that Coffee should be held two-thirds at fault.

“The jury spoke very clearly about what would and would not be tolerated in the community, both to the defendant and anyone else who might make the decisions he did,” said the plaintiff’s lead attorney, Blake Green of BG Law in North Kansas City. “At the end of the day, I think our information and how the jury received that information was correct.”
“(Coffee) was a very deserving client whose life has been forever changed by the decisions made by the defendant. We thought his story would resonate with the jury,” Green said.

Claims

The suit states White had been consuming alcohol throughout the day at various bars and restaurants, and, at the time of the crash, his blood alcohol content measured 0.20—2.5 times the legal limit.

Defense

White avoided admitting he was driving, suggesting his fiancée might have been behind the wheel. However, a witness saw White lying outside the driver’s door moments after the crash, while his fiancée was wedged in the passenger seat.

Expert Testimony

Kevin Johnson, an accident reconstructionist for the defense, testified that Coffee caused the crash by entering the intersection late during the yellow light. He argued that, despite White’s intoxication, White reacted reasonably when Coffee’s vehicle moved into his lane. During cross-examination, the Plaintiff’s counsel questioned Johnson about inconsistencies between his testimony and a prior recorded phone call. Both Johnson and the defense counsel had consented to the recording.

Jury Verdict

Jackson County jury awarded $34.1 million to Christopher Coffee after determining that an intoxicated driver was primarily responsible for a collision that caused Coffee permanent injuries. The total award included $3,792,300 in actual damages and $30,338,400 in punitive damages. With the jury assigning 80 percent of the fault to the Defendant, Randal White, and 20 percent to Coffee, the Plaintiff’s net recovery totaled $27,304,560.

Court Documents:

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