Photographs, medical records damage plaintiff's allegations

A defense attorney clearly laid out evidence for the jury and earned a verdict in her favor.

Attorney Jennifer R. Rose, whose client was responsible for a minor auto accident, presented enlarged photos and medical records that overshadowed testimony by the plaintiff's family in Laurie D. Sirna v. Vickie E. Shelton.

"We blew up the pictures really big, poster size, for the jury to see," Rose said. "We showed them during opening and closing. The pictures were pretty good."

Also, during cross-examination of Sirna's doctor, Rose displayed the plaintiff's medical records on an overhead.

"[Farrell D. Hockmeier, the plaintiff's attorney] had a lot of her family members that concerned me," Rose said. "But they weren't as important as the pictures and records."

Shelton rear-ended Sirna's vehicle while Sirna was stopped on a highway entrance ramp.

Shelton admitted liability. But Sirna alleged she sustained soft tissue injuries of the neck and back, irritable bowel syndrome, aggravation of migraines and radiculopathy, a disease of the spinal nerve roots.

While Sirna testified she didn't have any prior injuries, her medical records showed she had some pain before the crash.

Sirna, whose medical bills totaled $14,000, demanded the $50,000 policy limit before trial.