Comments during closing arguments by plaintiffs attorneys asking jurors to effectively send a message with their verdict against drunken driving contributed to wiping out an $11.1 million award and prompted the Fourth District Court of Appeal on Wednesday to order a new trial.
Neil Anthony of Steinger Iscoe & Greene in West Palm Beach was the lead attorney representing Rodney Wilde, an injured motorcyclist, and his wife, Charlotte, in the lawsuit against a bar that served alcohol to Leroy Felt. The award slipped away when the appeals court ruled in favor of the bar operator, Okeechobee Aerie 4137 Fraternal Order of Eagles Inc.
