According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 400,000 people per year are injured in car accidents caused by distracted driving. So when a driver decided to text while behind the wheel, the seemingly simple text message caused an immeasurable loss for 27-year-old Anthony Taylor, who was the victim of this distracted driver's negligence. Anthony was struck at a relatively low speed, but was rendered quadriplegic when the accident caused a jumped facet injury that damaged his spinal cord.
Anthony's paralysis was the result of a “perfect storm” of events. He had undergone scoliosis corrective surgery at the age of 16, a procedure where a metal rod and screws were attached to his spine to correct its curvature - and when his vehicle was struck by the distracted driver, the impact created a disproportionate force on his cervical spine. As a result, Anthony would now need a lifetime of attentive medical care that would come to an insurmountable mountain of expenses.
After hearing of Anthony's accident, PARRIS Law Firm’s R. Rex Parris and Alexander R. Wheeler stepped in and began preparing for trial, strategizing how to encourage the jury to award Anthony proper compensation for the damage and loss caused by the Defendant’s negligent driving.
Parris and Wheeler called on DK Global just weeks before trial, commissioning an animated presentation that outlined Anthony's injury and the painful surgical procedures he experienced. The animation depicts Anthony's low-impact collision and how the force snaps his neck back and forth, injuring his C5-C6 vertebrae. Then, the animation depicts the invasive procedures performed on Anthony, including the placement of a halo crown to stabilize his spine, a posterior lumbar fusion of his C5-C6 vertebrae, and a tracheostomy - a procedure where an opening is made in the neck to place a tube that allows air to enter the lungs. Once in trial, Wheeler and Parris presented the animations, with their experts authenticating its accuracy as it showed Anthony's tragic and agonizing experience.
After demonstrating Anthony's life-changing injury cause by the Defendant’s carelessness, and his future of round-the-clock medical care and expenses, the jury awarded a $42-million verdict to Anthony to ensure that he will be well-taken care of for the remainder of his life.
Parris founder and Lancaster Mayor, R. Rex Parris, has achieved monumental results in and out of the courtroom, securing the first million-dollar verdict in California’s Kern County and partnering with numerous local philanthropic organizations to support the Antelope Valley. Parris has been named one of the Best Lawyers by U.S. News & World Report over the past 6 years and has founded several community organizations including the Lancaster Child Abuse Task Force.
Since joining the Parris Law Firm in 2007, Alexander R. Wheeler has obtained over $500 million in verdicts and settlements for his clients. Alex has been named a Southern California Super Lawyer in 2019 and continuously listed on the Super Lawyers Rising Stars List since 2012. Outside of the courtroom, Alex is a frequent speaker at Continuing Legal Education seminars nationwide sharing his knowledge and expertise in applying cognitive science to the creative practice of law.
