$15 Million Awarded To Parents of Santa Cruz Women

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Jessica Navarro

Mercurynews.com is reporting that the parents of two women from Santa Cruz, CA have been awarded $15 in a wrongful death lawsuit against the Enterprise Rent-A-Car company. The lawsuit alleges that a leak in the power steering fluid of the vehicle the two women – 24-year-old Rachel Houck and 20-year-old Jacqueline Houck – were driving caused them to lose control of the vehicle and crash.

 

The vehicle caught fire and the two women were killed. Prior to the settlement, Enterprise Rent-a-Car contended the lawsuit, arguing that it was Rachel Houck’s driving that caused the accident and not a malfunction with their car. However, after contending the lawsuit for five years, Enterprise Rent-A-Car admitted the accident was a direct result of negligence on their part.

When a company offers any type of product or service, it is their sole responsibility to ensure that the product or service they provide is entirely safe for consumers. In this instance, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car company should be held responsible for the accident since it is their responsibility to ensure that the cars they provide for rental are completely safe. Any malfunction or defect in a vehicle should be grounds to remove that car from their lot and repair it before allowing consumers to rent that vehicle again.

 
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Record $6M Motorcycle Injury Award in Illinois

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Martin Solomon

Recently an Illinois man and his teenage daughter received $6 million in a lawsuit settlement in Joliet, Illinois. It is believed to be a record for Will County, Illinois. In 2006, Richard and Kelly Wright were struck by a pickup truck driven by John Martis when he attempted to turn left at a stop sign. Both Richard and Kelly suffered severe injuries. Richard suffered a fractured wrist and ankle, which required surgery, while Kelly, who was 15 at the time, suffered a severely broken left ankle and a severe right tibia fracture. Though the accident occurred over three years ago, she has not yet fully recovered and is scheduled to have fusion surgery on her ankle later this year.

This case highlights two of the biggest dangers to motorcycle riders. First of all, motorcycles are often hard to see, so are more susceptible to be hit by inattentive drivers, especially at intersections, as in this case. Second, motorcycle riders are more exposed to injuries, so even a minor car-motorcycle accident can cause severe injuries which can incur severely large medical bills. If you are injured in a motorcycle accident caused by another vehicle, you should contact a motorcycle injury attorney to discuss your case.
 

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