FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2024

(Grand Rapids, MI) – On Friday, a Kent County jury awarded over $25 million to a motorcyclist who was injured in May 2022 when an employee of Catholic Charities West Michigan crossed into oncoming traffic and struck him head-on. The 28 year old motorcyclist was catastrophically injured as a result of the crash, including being required to undergo a complete amputation of his left leg. Attorney Aaron Martinez joined the trial team led by Jason Waechter from the Law Office of Jason Waechter. Martinez served as co-counsel for the plaintiffs along with David Winter of David Winter Law, PLLC.

“This case is a tragic reminder of what can happen when drivers let distractions take their attention away from the roadway,” said attorney Jason Waechter, who represented the injured motorcyclist. “My client will never be able to return to life as he knew it before the crash, but we are proud that this jury had the strength to tell the world that dangerous behavior behind the wheel won’t be tolerated in Kent County.” The jury also awarded the motorcyclist’s wife $2 million in a separate claim for loss of consortium.

“It often gets overlooked that when someone is injured, their family suffers a loss as well,” said attorney Sean Murphy of the Law Offices of Jason Waechter. “This jury’s verdict recognized that the marriage this young couple hoped to have on the day they were married was never going to happen.”

In total, the jury awarded $27.5 million to the couple, which is believed to be a record verdict for a case of this type in Kent County.

Attorney Aaron Martinez filed numerous pre-trial motions on behalf of the injured couple and successfully won both the inclusion and exclusion of several pieces of evidence which allowed the trial team to craft a powerful narrative of their clients’ lives. Additionally, he used his storytelling background and trial experience to lead the direct examination of the motorcyclist’s mother in order to tell the jury about all of the impacts that this collision has had on her son and his family.

“It is fitting that this verdict came on the first few days of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in Michigan,” said Waechter. “Motorcyclists also are four times more likely to suffer serious injury and 24 times more likely to be killed in a crash than is an occupant of a passenger vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Michigan drivers owe a responsibility to look twice for motorcycles, and save a life.”

The Law Office of Jason Waechter has been representing injured people across the state of Michigan for over 30 years. With offices in Southfield, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Flint, they are prepared to fight for your rights while you focus on recovering. To receive a free consultation about your case, contact Aaron Martinez at (877) AARON-4U

###