DRAM SHOP AWARD:

Saturday, July 23, 2011

A former gas station attendant has won a multi-million dollar award in damages in a lawsuit arising from a drunk driver accident in 2008. Witnesses said Barron Hilton was driving his Mercedes-Benz the wrong way on the Pacific Coast Highway before the being involved in an accident with the gas station employee. A companion of the hotel heir said Hilton was involved in at least one accident as he drove his car near Malibu earlier in the day. Eventually, Hilton pulled into a gas station in Malibu.

It was in the lot that witnesses say Hilton struck the gas station attendant with his Mercedes-Benz. Police claimed Hilton was involved in a drunk driving accident. The hotel heir was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs after the crash. His blood alcohol content was measured at .14 after the crash and Hilton pled no contest to the DUI charge. The hotel heir was 18 at the time of the crash.

The gas station attendant who was struck in February 2008 filed a personal injury lawsuit against Hilton in relation to the California car accident. The man required extensive surgeries due to the injuries he sustained in the accident. The man says he is permanently disabled as a result of the personal injuries.

Hilton denies he was driving the car on the night of the accident. He says he has amnesia and only remembers sitting on a bench after the crash.

A judgment in the civil suit was entered earlier this month awarding damages to the gas station attendant. The award includes damages for pain and suffering, medical expenses and loss of earnings. Additionally, the judgment includes punitive damages. California law allows victims of drunk driver accidents to seek punitive damages in a civil suit related to the accident.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Michael Zenner - CEO      
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Office: 480-777-7056
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© Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc. 2010

DRAM SHOP AWARD:

June 15 2011

WESTMINSTER Md. A record-setting judgment from a Carroll County jury which awarded almost $12 million to the crippled victim of a drunk driving accident.

Derek Valcourt reports the decision came like a surprise in the conservative county where juries arent known to dole out large awards in lawsuits.

Part of the reason the $11.8 million verdict was such a surprise is since the event that crippled the victim was little more than a fender bender.

What happened at a Westminster intersection almost five years ago forever altered Michael Harris life. Its not only changed me except its changed my entire family Harris said.

While Harris sat at a red light on Route 140 he was rear-ended by repeat drunk driver Stephanie Ann Richardson who later fled the scene. Though the minor event barely damaged his lorry doctors trust it triggered a rare nerve condition called complex regional pain syndrome leaving the once energetic landscaper wheelchair-bound with crippling pain and lesions on his armament and legs.

His family hired Robert Weltchek and his law partners to sue the drunk driver and her insurance company. A Carroll County jury rejected the defenses arguments that Harris medical problems were not caused by the accident and awarded him $2.6 million for future medical expenses $800000 for past and future lost wages $256000 to modify his home $5.6 million for non-economic damages and $2.5 million for the effect on his marriage.
It was evident to the jury that this car accident albeit a relatively minor car accident caused this cascading of events a downward spiral that continues to this day said Weltchek.

The massive judgment means peace of mind for Harris like he tries to live with the crippling condition.

DRAM SHOP AWARD:

Michael Zenner - CEO      
Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc.
eyespyspotter.com
bartheft.com  (blog)
Hospitality Checkpoint PLLC
PI Lic. 1597616
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
liquorassessment.com
PO BOX 995 Gilbert AZ 85299
Office: 480-777-7056
Toll Free: 800-880-0811

© Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc. 2010