Jones Day attorneys win jurisdictional maximum damages at trial for pro bono clients who endured series of devastating floods

Client(s) Gamble, Bobbie

Four Jones Day attorneys Ashley Heintz, Walt Davis, Laura Bunten, and Will Rooks volunteered to represent a mother and son, Bobbie and Tony Gamble, in a failure to repair and negligence case against two defendants—their former apartment complex’s owner and property manager. As a result of three successive floods in 2014-2015, the Gambles had lived in a mold-infested apartment and had lost nearly all of their worldly possessions. After failed attempts to settle and contact the defendants, Jones Day filed a lawsuit against the two Defendants in December 2015. After both defendants failed to timely file an answer, Jones Day moved for an entry of default judgment. The property owner thereafter filed a motion to open default, to which Jones Day filed an opposition brief. Immediately before the hearing on the cross-motions, Jones Day reached a favorable settlement with the property owner at mediation. Jones Day thereafter obtained a default judgment on liability against the property manager defendant, and proceeded to trial on damages. After the damages trial, Judge Stephanie Davis awarded the jurisdictional maximum of $15,000 in damages to the Gambles. This result has changed the trajectory of our clients’ lives—at the time of the settlement and verdict, they were homeless, but they are now be able to rent an apartment and begin rebuilding their lives.

Gamble v. Collier Heights Management Co., LLC, et al., Fulton County Magistrate Court Docket Number: 15MS010750