Pike County Jury awards $21 million verdict in injury case

By: STAFF

Date: April 1, 2011

A Pike County jury awarded $21,000,000 to Plaintiff Rebekah Blades for catastrophic injuries she suffered while working at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Brundidge, Alabama

TROY, ALA. (April 1, 2011) - A Pike County jury awarded $21,000,000 to Plaintiff Rebekah Blades for catastrophic injuries she suffered while working at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Brundidge, Alabama. According to Shannon Ragland of The Alabama Jury Verdict Reporter, the $21 million dollar verdict is the largest compensatory damage award in a negligence case in Alabama since the publication began tracking verdicts.

At the time of her injury, Ms. Blades was twenty-six years old and had used her education and expertise to obtain a management position with Wal-Mart. She had "starred" in training videos teaching other managers and associates of Wal-Mart across the country. While performing her job in April 2008, Ms. Blades' way of life was destroyed. A piece of heavy grade sheet metal approximately 3½ long fell 28 feet and impaled in Ms. Blades' face. The force of the blow caused extensive facial trauma resulting in multiple surgical procedures. Additionally, Ms. Blades developed epileptic and non-epileptic seizures, which remain uncontrolled even with significant levels of medication. As a result of the ongoing health problems stemming from the incident, Ms. Blades is unable to work, drive or even care for her young daughter without assistance.

Until the owner of the Defendant Thermal Technologies, Inc. ("TTI") faced the Pike County jury, he denied that the accident was his company's fault. However, under intense questioning from Ms. Blades' attorney Mark Andrews, he changed his story and finally accepted responsibility for Ms. Blades' injuries and damages. Even without that admission, it was clear the Defendant was at fault because the large piece of sheet metal simply was not bolted into place. Through their investigation, Ms. Blades' attorneys proved that the bolts were supplied to the Brundidge, Alabama site, but were never installed by TTI or TTI's subcontractor Helsel Contracting. Furthermore, the investigation after the incident revealed that the unsafe condition existed at Wal-Mart Distribution Centers across the United States where TTI and Helsel had been paid to install produce-ripening rooms.

According to Mark Andrews, one of the attorneys for Ms. Blades, "Rebekah did nothing wrong, and was simply doing her job. The metal piece simply was never bolted in place. The defendants failed to follow their own plans." Andrews also stated, "We are very proud of the Pike County jury. The jury listened intently to all of the evidence, and returned a large verdict because Rebekah's injuries are clearly devastating."

Attorneys Mark Andrews, Dan Talmadge and Cory Driggers of the firm Morris, Cary, Andrews, Talmadge & Driggers, LLC represented the Plaintiff. Richard Calhoun of Troy served as local counsel for the Plaintiff. Case name Rebekah Blades v. Thermal Technologies, Inc. and Helsel Contracting; Circuit Court of Pike County, Alabama; Case number CV-09-192.