We represented Smyrna Ready Mix (SRM) in a post-trial briefing related to a 2020 accident involving a SRM driver who ran a stop sign and collided with the plaintiff’s vehicle. At the initial trial, handled by a different firm, the jury learned that SRM driver had been hired in violation of a SRM internal policy. Based largely on that evidence, the jury initially awarded the plaintiff nearly $1.9 million in compensatory damages and an additional $30 million in punitive damages—one of the largest punitive awards in Tennessee history.
As a result of post-trial motions led by Bass, Berry & Sims, the Circuit Court Judge ruled decisively in SRM’s favor. Following oral argument, the court ruled from the bench to overturn the jury’s verdict, including the punitive damages award. In addition, the court granted SRM a new trial on nearly every argument advanced.