Jason Reynolds and other plaintiffs, involved in a harrowing automobile accident, are seeking justice through the Arizona Court of Appeals. On November 25, 2025, Jason Reynolds filed a complaint against Miguel Juarez Martinez and Torres Farms, LLC at the Superior Court in La Paz County following a jury verdict that found the defendants not liable for negligence.
The case revolves around an incident on October 16, 2019, when Jason Reynolds was driving an SUV with four passengers on a rural road in La Paz County. In an attempt to overtake a tractor, Reynolds crossed into the left lane but collided with the tractor’s rear tire, causing the SUV to roll over and injure its occupants. The plaintiffs alleged that the tractor driver negligently pulled in front of them and that Torres Farms was both vicariously liable for their employee’s actions and directly liable for inadequate training and negligent entrustment of the vehicle. Despite these claims, the jury ruled in favor of the defendants.
The plaintiffs’ appeal focused on three key evidentiary rulings they believed were erroneous. First, they contested the exclusion of bodycam recordings from Officer Lee’s interviews with witnesses at the scene. The court had deemed parts of these recordings inadmissible hearsay except for direct statements from involved parties. Second, they challenged restrictions placed on Officer Lee’s testimony regarding surveillance footage of the accident; he was limited to lay witness testimony rather than expert opinion due to procedural decisions made before trial. Lastly, they objected to defense counsel’s cross-examination concerning future medical care needs despite a pretrial order excluding such evidence.
In their appeal, Jason Reynolds and his co-plaintiffs argued that these rulings unfairly influenced the trial’s outcome by preventing critical evidence from being considered by the jury. They sought reversal of these decisions and potentially a new trial where all relevant evidence could be properly evaluated.
Ultimately, however, Judges Jennifer M. Perkins, David D. Weinzweig, and Cynthia J. Bailey upheld the original verdict after reviewing each point raised by the appellants. They concluded that no clear abuse of discretion occurred during evidentiary rulings or procedural conduct at trial which would warrant overturning or revisiting previous findings.
Representing Jason Reynolds were attorneys from Burk Injury Lawyers based in Las Vegas while Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP represented Miguel Juarez Martinez and Torres Farms LLC. The case ID is No. S1500CV202100088 presided over by Judge Marcus A. Kelley.
Source: 1CACV250060_Reynolds_v_Martinez_Opinion_Arizona_Court_of_Appeals.pdf