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Jury Verdict in favor of CNJ Client

1/23/2008

On January 23 a Pulaski County jury unanimously decided that the judgment entered against Harbor General Store and Joplin Development in an earlier case must be paid by State Auto Insurance Company. The case arose from a leaking gasoline storage tank at the Harbor General convenience store in November of 2004. The gasoline ran underground to the Colonial Motel, owned by the Burch Trust. The gasoline ruined two water wells on the Colonial Motel property, and at times turned Gap Creek, a tributary of Lake Ouachita, orange. Gasoline vapors were detected in monitoring wells beneath the motel rooms. The Burch Trust sued for property damage, and in April of 2006 a Montgomery County jury awarded damages against Harbor General. A lawsuit over the insurance coverage was filed in Pulaski County regarding which party was to pay the judgment. The amount owed on the judgment is now $976,438. Jim Julian, was lead counsel and argued the case to the jury on behalf of the Burch Trust.