ST. LOUIS COUNTY — Amy Daugherty lost her only son, Adam Whittington, when a woman sped through a construction zone and – without braking – slammed into his vehicle.
Whittington was only 27 years old at the time of the crash in July 2023 along the Jefferson Barracks Bridge in South St. Louis County.
Whittington was driving while intoxicated that night with a blood alcohol of .33%, and had caused a minor accident, which left his car disabled. He turned off his lights and stopped his car on the bridge.
That’s when Jennifer Jackson, a pediatric nurse, drove 71 mph in a 55-mph construction zone and rear-ended Whittington’s vehicle. Jackson was then arrested for driving under the influence because she failed several field sobriety tests.
Blood results revealed that Jackson had Xanax and methadone in her system. She did not have a prescription for either medication.
Daugherty made a pre-suit demand for the $25,000 policy limits, conditioned on Jackson giving a statement under oath.
The insurance company failed to produce Jackson for a statement and failed to respond to multiple requests to do so. Daughtery then filed a lawsuit and refused to accept the policy limit of $ 25,000, arguing that the insurer failed to accept a policy limit demand.
The Friday before trial, Jackson’s insurance company offered $750,000 to settle the case. Daughtery proceeded to trial, with Simon Law Attorneys John M. Simon and Jared Waldhoff picking a jury and presenting two days of evidence.
The case resolved for $1 million just before Jackson took the stand.
“As we told the jury in this case, our client made some poor choices of his own on the night he was killed, but he would still be here today had it not been for the reckless and dangerous actions of Ms. Jackson,” said Johnny M. Simon. “He died as a direct result of her careless and negligent driving.”
Waldhoff said the outcome in this case shows what happens when insurance companies refuse to produce their clients despite multiple requests.
“Our client’s family was willing to come to the table with one request,” Waldhoff said. “In the end, the family benefited greatly when the insurance company in this case ignored them.”
Media Contact:
Christine Byers
Simon Law Director of Marketing & Communications
cbyers@simonlawpc.com
