Exit ramp crash yields verdict for injured motorist

A St. Louis County jury awarded a 37-year-old Florissant man $1.6 million in damages for injuries incurred in a two-car collision on an Interstate 270 exit ramp in July 2021.

Kristopher Phillip Langley sued Venus Antenette Jones, 52, also of Florissant, in 2022 over a collision that plaintiff’s attorney Andrew Mundwiller said led to soft tissue neck and mid-back injuries that didn’t require surgery but rather future pain injections. An attorney for Jones did not respond to a request for comment.

The collision occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m. on July 8, 2021, when Jones’ 2014 Kia Optima rear-ended a 2016 Chevy Malibu drive by Langley, who was stopped in traffic waiting for a light to change on the James McDonnell Boulevard off-ramp.

The defense conceded negligence, Mundwiller said, with the case centered on the amount of damages. At trial, the defense cited physical therapy records of Langley showing significant recovery, he added.

In a 9-3 vote, the jury sided with Langley after a three-day trial.

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$1.6 million verdict

Motor vehicle collision

Venue: St. Louis County Circuit Court

Case Number/Date: 22SL-CC00707/Dec. 6, 2023

Judge: Richard Stewart

Special Damages: $51,671.05 in past medical bills

Last Pretrial Offer: $400,000

Last Pretrial Demand: $750,000

Insurer: Safeco Insurance Company of Illinois

Caption: Kristopher Langley v. Venus A. Jones

Plaintiff’s Attorney: Andrew Mundwiller, The Cagle Law Firm, St. Louis; R. Mark Taneyhill; Schwartz and Schwartz; Wilmington, Delaware

Defendant’s Attorney: Patricia Keck; Keck and Phillips, Springfield