Woman hit by Kinko's vehicle settles negligence lawsuit

The Associated Press

A Vestavia Hills woman left unable to walk after a Kinko's company vehicle hit her in 2002 has settled a negligence lawsuit against the company for an undisclosed amount.

Joan Jones, 60, sued the company and its employee, Jennifer Dickerson, claiming Dickerson ran a
red light and hit her Sept. 19, 2002, at U.S. 280 and Cherokee Road.  Jones, who has been bedridden
since the crash, sued on the grounds of negligence and recklessness.

The suit was slated for trial in Jefferson County circuit court this month, but the sides settled on the
eve of trial, said plaintiff attorney Jeff Rickard .  He declined to discuss the settlement, citing a
confidential agreement between the parties.

Rickard said this was not a case where liability or responsibility was an issue.  Rather, it was an
issue of damages--what would be fair compensation for what Jones has suffered for nearly two years
and what it would cost to care for her for the rest of her life, he said.

Jones was en route to her job as a day-care worker at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Mountain Brook
when she was hit.  She suffered head trauma, broken ribs, a punctured lung and leg injury,
Rickard said.  As a result of the injuries and being bedridden for so long, Jones developed a
condition that causes severe stiffness in her knees and ankles that prevents her from walking.