Potter v. Shrackle and The Shrackle Construction Company

An inattentive moment costs a woman her life--the question is, which party wasn't paying attention?

Charles Shrackle's truck strikes and kills Katherine Potter as she is crossing the street in Nita City. In the wrongful death action brought by her estate, the plaintiff claims Shrackle failed to yield to Katherine Potter as she crossed in the crosswalk. Shrackle claims that Mrs. Potter stepped out in front of his truck from the median, well away from the crosswalk. Conflicting eyewitnesses support both versions of the accident.

This classic file is ideal for teaching basic trial skills. It has been updated to include social media exhibits and text messages, but the basic questions remain. Was Katherine Potter crossing in a crosswalk? Was the accident caused by the use of a cell phone? Was Jeffrey Potter involved in an affair when his wife died? There are six witnesses for the plaintiff and four witnesses for the defendants.

The revised Seventh Edition now has four versions: Trial, Faculty, Plaintiff and Defendant.

Revision based on the original file created by Kenneth S. Broun and James H. Seckinger.