A 23-year-old woman was killed by a monster truck at a rally that rook place outside of a gentleman's club back in March of 2011. According to The Houston Chronicle, the young woman was run over by a pickup truck which had been elevated by monster tires when she was talking through a parking lot at the Spearmint Rhino club in Dallas. The driver of the truck was intoxicated when he hit the young woman. The parents of the 23-year-old girl, Gary McKenzie and Karen McDonald sued the High Expectations Hospitality, the company that runs the Spearmint Rhino club, claiming dram shop liability.
Dram shop liability is a claim that family members can use if their loved one was injured because a restaurant permitted a patron to leave the facility intoxicated. A Dallas civil jury declared that the parents should receive $4 million for the mental anguish of losing their loved one and another $3.5 million for the loss of companionship of their daughter. As well, the parents received another $3 million in damages and expenses from the accident. Allegedly, the club served the driver more than 10 drinks before allowing him to get into his monster truck to drive home. He was so intoxicated that he hardly even saw the young woman as he tried to speed away.
The parents' attorney says that this case serves as an example of dram shop liability and that more Dallas and Houston locals should be willing to seek compensation through this method and hold restaurants accountable. The driver claims that he had no idea that he had hit a pedestrian when driving. When tested, his BAC was over twice the legal limit. The driver will now be sent to prison on a DUI manslaughter charge and Spearmint Rhino has paid the family the $10.5 million that they were able to secure. While money cannot bring back your loved one, it may make recovering from the devastation of the accident easier.
Contact a Houston trucking accident attorney today if you were injured in a Houston truck accident or your loved one was killed in one of these tragic accidents. Whether your accident involved a semi-truck, a monster truck, or a commercial vehicle such as a bus or a delivery truck, an attorney at this firm can assist you. At Kennedy Hodges, the attorneys have the experience to assist you. They also work hard to accommodating and caring, so that they can best serve you as you seek justice. You can get ahold of the firm by calling (713) 396-3673 today. At this firm, you will not need to pay the attorneys unless you receive a recovery, so you can be sure that you are not gambling when you hire Kennedy Hodges LLP to handle your case!
No Comments
Leave a comment