The family of a man, who was killed by a drunk pickup truck driver, received a $2.25 million award.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff was riding his vintage 1970s bicycle on Sunday morning on April 6, 2014, when a pickup truck driver, driving under the influence, crashed on him, resulting in the plaintiff's death just eight days before his 66th birthday. The truck left the scene, post the accident but returned after the passenger and driver switched places.
The attorney, representing the plaintiffs, claimed that both of the acquitters appeared heavily intoxicated during the scene, but the investigators focused only on who they thought was the driver, and the actual driver wasn’t tested.
The driver after confessing guilty jurors acquitted him of DUI manslaughter, and convicted him of reckless driving, driving with a suspended license, and leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death.
The lawsuit filed by the plaintiff against the truck driver for negligence in 2016, led to a verdict of $608,000 in economic damages and $1.65 million for loss of companionship.
In December 2017, an Idaho company paid a $5 million settlement to the daughters of a woman who got killed in a drunk-driving crash.
According to the court papers, the truck driver was an employee of a truck driving company owned by Advanced Heating and Cooling, a business name assumed by BSR Ventures. He crossed the centerline of the U.S. Highway 93 and collided with the lady's car, resulting in her death at the scene of the accident.
The investigation report stated that the driver was driving under influence of alcohol. The driver was drinking at a bar in Shoshone before the crash. He even pleaded for violating the law. The woman's family informed the jury that the company was aware of the truck driver's previous DUI convictions. The convict was eventually sentenced to 15 years of prison and the jury even suspended his driving license.
