Fulton County Jury Returns $494,556 Verdict Against City of South Fulton in Personal Injury Case

A Fulton County jury has returned a verdict of $494,556.29 against the City of South Fulton in a personal injury case, according to an announcement from Schneider Williamson, the Atlanta personal injury firm that represented the plaintiff, Cherise Mitchell-Weathers. The verdict, returned on May 19, 2026, was entered as final judgment by Judge Robert Wolf of the State Court of Fulton County the following day. The jury awarded $144,556.29 for medical expenses and $350,000.00 for pain and suffering. The case was filed as Civil Action No. 25EV001453.

The amount of the verdict was more than double what was offered at a court-ordered mediation, underscoring the firm's willingness to take cases to trial. "Suing a city is a different animal with many potential pitfalls," said Jason Schneider, co-founder and managing partner at Schneider Williamson. "There are notice deadlines that can end a case before it starts. There are immunity defenses at every turn. And you're dealing with a defendant that has no real reason to settle as its liability is limited by law. You have to be ready to put it in front of twelve people and let them decide. All the credit goes to our wonderful client who allowed us to do that."

Claims against Georgia cities are governed by specific rules that do not apply to ordinary negligence cases. Under O.C.G.A. § 36-33-5, anyone bringing a money damages claim against a municipality must serve written ante litem notice on the city within six months of the incident. Missing that window or sending the wrong notice can bar the claim completely, even though the two-year statute of limitations that applies to most Georgia injury cases has not run. Georgia law also limits when a city gives up its sovereign immunity. Those two rules together are a big part of why cases like this one are difficult to pursue and often end up in front of a jury instead of settling.

People hurt by a city, county, or other public entity often hear early on that the case isn't worth the trouble. The extra hurdles are real, but they are procedural, not absolute. A claim that clears them is worth the same full measure of damages as any other claim. What makes the difference is the work done in the first few weeks. That means locating witnesses, hiring experts, inspecting the scene and the vehicles before anything changes, and getting the proper notice served well inside the deadline.

The verdict reflects how the firm handles its cases generally. The team at Schneider Williamson prepares every file for trial from the start. A defendant pays fair value when it believes the case will actually be tried, and not before. The firm handles personal injury matters including car and truck wrecks, premises liability, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death. More successful outcomes are listed on the firm's case results page.