The plaintiff Joel Raun was injured in a violent rear-end motor vehicle
collision July 12, 2005. The defendants have admitted liability for the
collision. The issue to be decided is the appropriate amount of compensation
to which Mr. Raun is entitled as a result of injuries caused by the collision.
The plaintiff seeks $75,000 to $80,000 for general damages, $68,000 to $98,000
for past loss of income, $75,000 to $100,000 for reduced earning capacity and $1,533.59
in special damages. The defendants submission is that a proper award would be
$18,000 for non-pecuniary damages, nothing for past loss of income or reduced
earning capacity and $693.59 for general damages. The wide discrepancy in
suggested damages arise from conflicting assessments of the nature, extent and
duration of Mr. Rauns physical injuries and the cause of his lack of earnings
since the collision....