March 8, 2024, Salt Lake City, Utah – Rick J. Lindsey, President and CEO of Prime Insurance Company, a specialty insurance carrier, announced today that the company partnered with Mega Trucking to fight and win frivolous litigation against Mega that was fueled by overzealous plaintiff’s lawyers who were overpromising to their client that they could get rich even when the accident was due to their own negligence. Mega and Prime worked together and fought and won. The jury agreed that the amputee plaintiff who sued Mega should not recover anything due to his own actions which made him 100% responsible for the accident.
This claim arose from a motor vehicle collision in Highlands County, FL. Errol Shaw was driving for Mega Trucking when the accident occurred. Shaw was completing a right turn from a stop sign after he had stopped, as evidenced by his dash camera, a video surveillance camera, and an independent witness.
The plaintiff, who was recklessly driving a vehicle well in excess of the speed limit, struck Mega’s driver’s side rear trailer tire. Liability was disputed, but after only thirty minutes deliberating, the jury reached a defense verdict on all counts. The last demand pre-trial was $1,000,000.
The plaintiff alleged the accident was caused by Shaw’s failure to yield the right of way. The plaintiff was ejected from the vehicle suffering fractures to his pelvis, lower leg, wrist, shoulder, and multiple ribs. The plaintiff, after several surgeries and an above-the-knee amputation incurred approximately $1.9 million in medical bills.
In his closing remarks to the jury, the plaintiff’s attorney asked the jury to award $15,000,000 in damages.
Prime, Mega and their local legal defense team at Baumann, Gant, and Keeley; and Conroy Simberg, obtained a defense verdict through its partnership approach to claims handling. Prime worked for years prior to the trial with Mega developing a plan. At trial, a Prime representative attended every day and strategized together with Mega’s owners and Shaw. The result once again shows that the Prime partnership approach is truly the best way to manage claims.
Rick J. Lindsey, President, and CEO of Prime Insurance Company states, “We will seek legal fees to discourage frivolous litigation. We had offered over $500,000 which was a gift they should have taken, but over the years they have been encouraged to swing for the fences on every case because it has worked with BIG Insurance. Prime is BIG enough but not so big that we must feed the ‘Dragon.’ Prime is not willing to just sell insurance as we offer a partnership that can win, which again is more proof of what is possible.”
Prime Insurance Company is a specialty lines insurance carrier writing business in all 50 states, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Prime is rated “A” (Excellent) AM Best*. The company provides solutions for property, professional, transportation, recreation, and hundreds of classes in the marketplace. The in-house team of litigators and experts has resolved over 70,000 claims to date.
For more information on Prime Insurance Company, visit www.primeis.com
https://www.primeis.com/about/litigation-history/
Media contact:
Barbara Malkowski
barbaram@primeis.com
*visit www.ambest.com
