Executive Summary
- Total Judgment: A Barton County judge awarded $6 million to the plaintiff, split evenly between actual and punitive damages.
- Default Ruling: The verdict was reached after defendant Dakota Greenlee failed to appear or respond to court filings.
- Incident Details: The suit stemmed from a May 2025 motorcycle crash in Golden City that resulted in the death of Chloe Brower.
A Barton County circuit court judge has awarded a $6 million judgment to the family of a woman killed in a 2025 motorcycle collision, following a bench trial where the defendant failed to appear. The ruling, issued by Judge David Reid Munton on October 9, 2025, grants the plaintiff both actual and punitive damages stemming from the fatal incident.
According to court documents, the lawsuit was filed by Charles Brower individually and on behalf of the minor children of his daughter, Chloe Brower. The court awarded $3 million in actual damages and an additional $3 million in punitive damages. The judgment was rendered after the defendant, Dakota Greenlee, failed to answer the petition, file motions, or attend a scheduled hearing regarding the case.
The petition filed in the circuit court states that the crash occurred on May 14, 2025, on U.S. Highway 160 near the intersection with Depot Street in Golden City. Greenlee was reportedly operating a Harley Davidson motorcycle with Chloe Brower as a passenger. The filing alleges that Greenlee "negligently and carelessly" crashed the vehicle, causing severe injuries to Brower that resulted in her death on May 19.
Randy J. Reichard of Lowther Johnson Attorneys at Law, representing the plaintiff, noted that the outcome provided the family with a sense of justice despite the tragic circumstances. No legal counsel was listed for the defendant in the court records.
Legal Procedural Analysis
This case underscores the significant legal ramifications of a default judgment in civil litigation. When a defendant fails to respond to a summons or appear in court, the presiding judge may rule in favor of the plaintiff based on the uncontested evidence presented. In this instance, the inclusion of punitive damages matching the actual damages indicates that the court found the negligence to be of a nature warranting financial punishment beyond simple compensation, a measure often utilized to deter similar conduct in the future.
