ST. LOUIS – A man was awarded $1.5 million nearly three years after a tree branch struck him while waiting at a St. Louis bus stop.
Jurors awarded Phillip Lacy, 50, with a seven-figure sum on Thursday after a three-day jury trial, according to online Missouri court records.
Court documents obtained by FOX 2 state that a tree branch fell on Lacy while he sat at a bus stop near the intersection of Jamieson and Pernod avenues in St. Louis’ Lindenwood Park neighborhood, leading to various injuries.
According to FOX 2’s news partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Lacy suffered a cracked skull, in addition to injuries to his eye, neck, back, leg, ankle and foot.
In a petition amended in March 2024, lawyers for Lacy noted that the tree was in visibly dangerous condition and that the city should have recognized the danger but failed to inspect or maintain it.
Meanwhile, an attorney for the city of St. Louis, in a court motion filed Wednesday, alleged that the city was unaware of any defects in that particular tree as there were no prior reports or evidence suggesting it needed maintenance.
The City of St. Louis says its forestry division maintains an active inventory database of trees that it manages. The inventory database lists several trees near the Jamieson-Pernod intersection in “fair” condition, while several other trees around the Lindenwood Park neighborhood are listed in “good” or “very good” condition.