Couple awarded $2.5 million JURY AWARD: Michael Skean permanently injured when hit by drunk driver BY RUTHANN ROBINSON [email protected] 219.662.5331 This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, March 10, 2006 1:03 AM CST ADVERTISEMENT CROWN POINT | A Lake Superior Court jury awarded a Munster couple more than $2.6 million for injuries suffered in a Jan. 8, 2003, accident involving a drunken driver. Michael and Cindy Skeans sued Brian Catt for injuries suffered when Catt drove his vehicle head-on into Michael Skeans' motorcycle on White Oak Avenue near Bluebird Drive. Michael Skeans suffered a four-part fracture of his right shoulder and needed a rod surgically implanted, according to a press release from Skeans' attorney, Tim Kelly, of Crown Point. Despite the surgery, Skeans never regained full use of his right arm and lost his business, Kelly said. Catt's blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit at the time of the collision, and he pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and causing serious bodily injury. Court records show Catt had two previous drunken driving cases in 2000 and 2002. The civil case was heard by a jury in the courtroom of Lake Superior Judge Diane Kavadias Schneider. The judgment includes $500,000 in punitive damages.