2012 Crash Verdict Favoring Widow Upheld

2012 Crash Verdict Favoring Widow Upheld

Introduction

A jury verdict that favored the widow of a driver involved in a 2012 fatal crash of a high school van which was moving members of the basketball team has been upheld by the Nebraska Court of Appeals. According to the lawsuit, on June 1, 2012, a truck driver was driving a pickup truck that rammed into the school van which included a school basketball team. The crash resulted in the death of the truck driver as well as two coaches of the team. One of the coaches was driving the school van, whereas the other one was as a front-seat passenger. The accident even resulted in injuries for several students in the van who were returning from a basketball clinic. A lawsuit was filed against the truck driver's widow, claiming her husband negligently caused the crash and that his estate should be held liable for damages. A jury favored the truck driver's widow, after finding that the truck driver had likely suffered a heart attack and sudden loss of consciousness before the crash and awarded no damages. The jury's verdict was appealed by the plaintiffs, following which the appeals court upheld it. In December 2017, a woman got killed in a drunk-driving crash on the U.S. Highway 93. The daughters of the deceased woman were awarded $5 million by the Idaho truck driving company. The company's truck driver who was driving under influence of alcohol was sentenced to 15 years of prison. The jury even suspended his driving license.