Simon Law Wins $3 Million Jury Verdict For E-Scooter Crash Victim

ST. LOUIS COUNTY – Oct. 16, 2025 – A St. Louis County jury awarded more than $3 million to a man who broke his arm and suffered a herniated disc after a crash on his e-scooter.

Simon Law Attorneys Kevin Carnie Jr. and Patrick R. McPhail led the three-day trial before Judge Brian May. The jury took about 1 ½ hours to return their unanimous verdict for the plaintiff after Carnie and McPhail proved a pool contractor acted negligently by leaving a pile of gravel in a bike lane, which led to the crash.

“When contractors fail to keep construction areas safe to save a little time, they need to be held accountable” Carnie said. “We were happy to hold this company accountable for its negligence and get our client compensated for injuries that he needlessly suffered.”

Simon Law’s client and his wife rode their electric scooters to dinner on May 16, 2022 at Brasserie in the city’s Central West End neighborhood. They then rode through Forest Park to Sasha’s wine bar.

The plaintiff rode his scooter to his apartment in Clayton to get his car, while his wife stayed at Sasha’s. While riding his scooter along Wydown at about 25 mph, he hit a pile of gravel that had been left in the bike lane and crashed.

He broke his arm, suffered road rash, and, about a year later, was diagnosed with a herniated disc.

“Bike and scooter riders have enough to contend with while using bike lanes specifically designed to give them a safe space to ride,” McPhail said. “The defendant in this case failed to get a permit or place cones or reflective barriers, which led to our client’s unnecessary suffering.

“The jury in this case clearly understood that message and we are pleased with its decision.”

The jury awarded $3 million in compensatory damages, finding the defendant responsible for punitive damages. In the second phase of the trial, the defendant presented evidence showing approximately $70,000 in net worth. Nine of the 12 jurors then returned a $10,000 punitive damages verdict.

Founded in 2001, Simon Law is a nationally recognized trial firm based in St. Louis, Missouri. The firm partners with referring attorneys throughout Missouri and across the country and has secured four nine-figure verdicts in the past two years, totaling nearly $2 billion. Kevin Carnie Jr. and Patrick R. McPhail along with their team handle personal injury, business litigation and product liability cases. This is their second more than $1 million verdict on the heels of a $109 million verdict earlier this year.

Media Contact:
Christine Byers
Simon Law Marketing Director
cbyers@simonlawpc.com