Case Name: Willie M. PEARSON, Appellant, v. Carol GREGG, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1991-03-07
Citations: 575 So. 2d 333
Docket Number: No. 90-1772
Parties: Willie M. PEARSON, Appellant, v. Carol GREGG, Appellee.
Judges: NIMMONS, BARFIELD and MINER, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 575
Pages: 333–334

Head Matter:
Willie M. PEARSON, Appellant, v. Carol GREGG, Appellee.
No. 90-1772.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
March 7, 1991.
Milton H. Baxley, II, Gainesville, for appellant.
Robert A. Bush, Gainesville, for appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Willie M. Pearson, the defendant below in a personal injury action arising from an automobile accident, appeals a jury verdict finding her guilty of negligence, and awarding the appellee $22,000 economic and noneconomic damages. We affirm the finding of negligence, but reverse the damage award. As a threshold matter the appellee was required to prove under § 627.737(2)(b), Fla.Stat. that she had sustained a permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability as a prerequisite to any recovery of noneconomic damages. The medical evidence adduced failed to satisfy this requirement. Further, there was no evidence to demonstrate ap-pellee has or will sustain any economic damage as a result of the accident. Accordingly, the trial court erred in not granting the defense motion for directed verdict on the issues of damages, and the award is REVERSED.
NIMMONS, BARFIELD and MINER, JJ., concur.