Jury rules for the plaintiff

An Oconee jury ruled yesterday in favor of the plaintiff and awarded her nearly $6,800 in damages from a man who wrecked the vehicle they were traveling in. The Common Pleas jury ruled in favor of Melissa Seals about one hour after asking to see copies of Seals’ medical bills from hospital visits during August 2009. Over two days this week, the jury heard testimony that Seals rode in a vehicle driven by Troy Stargel that was headed for a party in Salem. The vehicle wrecked off highway 11. Stargel did not attend the trial. His attorney, Raymond Allen Tate Jr., said his client was in Allentown, Pennsylvania where he lives and asked the jury not to hold his absence against him.