became an issue during Wright's cross-examination. The trial court ruled, again over objection, that Moore could examine Wright about the release given in connection with the settlement. Moore reviewed with Wright both the release and the allegations in the complaint, and Wright agreed that the complaint alleged neck injuries from the first accident as well as the second. In closing, Moore again pointed out that the complaint alleged the same injuries in the first accident as in the second. Then, at the end of his closing, Moore said:
And, in fact, Ms. Wright has been compensated for all those injuries laid out in that complaint, all the exact injuries she's claiming against Mr. Moore. She's compensated for her neck, for her back, for her knee, for her ankle, forfor the accident had already admitted liability, raising the question that the plaintiff's claim against Cahill might be invalid or to limit a damage award by suggesting that the Alexanders had already been guaranteed some payment toward damages.[4]
Moore's questions about Wright's release, and the allegations in the complaint, were more clearly designed to demonstrate that Wright had been compensated. Then, in his closing, Moore went even further. He specifically told the jury that Wright had been fully compensated through her settlement with Green. Both the questions and the closing comments were highly improper. In other circumstances, we would expect Wright to have interrupted the closing in an effort to cure Moore's prejudicial statements. Here, however, Wright had objected during the opening and again when Wright was being cross-examined.