A ‘historic and courageous’ Verdict
After two weeks of testimony and two days of deliberations, the jury awarded the affected residents $532,500 in actual damages and $1.8 million in punitive damages.
The the jury’s verdict – which is rare, if not unprecedented in South Carolina – was both historic and courageous. This verdict, remarked attorneys, will help other citizens in the state who suffer damages as a result of landfill companies. In the past, they say, landfill companies have looked at South Carolina as an easy target without tough restrictions on landfills.
The Lee County landfill takes more out-of-state waste than any other garbage dump in South Carolina. The landfill has drawn fire in the past when residents complained of its overwhelming odor. Even passing motorists have remarked on the stench, according to local news reports.
Republic Services is a Fortune 500 company worth more than $1 billion. Headquartered in Arizona, Republic has about 200 landfills nationally. Lee County Landfill SC LLC, an arm of Republic, has a net worth of $15.78 million.
About Bill Hopkins
Bill Hopkins joined Beasley Allen in 2010 in the firm’s Consumer Fraud section. He has developed a successful class action practice. For example, Bill has been appointed by several different courts as lead or liaison counsel in many different class actions. Bill had a long-standing relationship with Beasley Allen prior to joining the firm. In 1995, they joined forces in a class action suit against Life of Georgia Insurance Company.
Bill was named one of America’s “Best Lawyers” by U.S. News & World Report for 2011 and 2012.
*The amount of some verdicts may have been reduced by post-trial settlement, appeal, or remittitur. Some amounts may have been obtained by default judgment. Some verdicts and settlements were obtained in other states besides Alabama. Beasley Allen does not represent that the same or similar results would be obtained in all cases.
