Sean Smith v. City of Junction City, Kansas

In this personal injury case, on March 8, 2024, the Geary County jury awarded $3,460,358 in damages to Sean Smith after they found Junction City liable for negligence and failure to warn citizens about the presence of an eight-foot deep culvert.

Case Background

Sean Smith filed a lawsuit against Junction City alleging negligence before the Geary County, Kansas, District Court. Judge Keith Collett presided over this case. [Case number: GE-2021-CV-000199]

Cause

On Christmas Eve night in 2019, Sean Smith, the Plaintiff, took a shortcut to an ATM at a nearby bank in Junction City, Kansas. However, he failed to spot a storm drainage culvert and fell into the 8-foot-deep culvert. The culvert was situated in an unlit area, just 12 feet from the sidewalk on a busy street.

Injury

Due to Junction City's negligence, Smith fell into the culvert, resulting in injuries including damage to his right frontal lobe, three skull fractures, and a broken T11 vertebra

Damages

The Plaintiff sought judgment in his favor. He sought both non-economic and econ