AP – MSSC to hear case on jury award caps
Attorneys for Ronnie Lymas go to the Mississippi Supreme Court on June 8 hoping to resurrect a $4.1 million jury verdict vehemently opposed by dozens of trade associations and Republican Gov. Haley Barbour.
Critics say Lymas is not legally entitled to that much money.
A Humphreys County jury decided Lymas should be compensated for getting shot eight times in the back in 2007 during an altercation at a gas station/convenience store in Belzoni. The jury found the owners of Double Quick liable for Lymas’ injuries. Lymas sued Double Quick, claiming the company didn’t do enough to ensure the safety of its customers.
The jury awarded actual damages to cover things like medical costs, plus non-economic damages with the total coming to about $4.1 million. The judge in the case lowered the non-economic damages to $1 million, which is the cap put into law by the Mississippi Legislature in 2003.
AP
5/10/10
Magnolia Tribune
