(RepublicanView.org) – A historic $162 million settlement was reached in one of Georgia’s deadliest traffic accidents. Seven people died in the 2021 incident on Interstate 85 in Gwinnett County when a car riding in front of a passenger van unexpectedly changed lanes, causing the van to spin out of control, slide across lanes, and burst into flames with passengers inside. Seven women from a sober living group died, and ten others were injured during their trip to Buford for a meeting of the We Are Living Proof organization.
Wrongful death and injury suits were later filed, with plaintiffs alleging the van was improperly maintained and its steering system faulty. Furthermore, its fuel system allegedly allowed gas to ignite, causing the fire.
Beasley Allen and Shiver Hamilton Campbell, the plaintiff’s attorneys, said the defendants continue to deny liability, and the record settlement did not change that position. They also noted that the settlement is the largest for a single traffic accident in Peach State history.
Chris Glover, managing attorney of Beasley Allen’s Atlanta Office, said he was incredibly proud of his team, which was focused on getting justice for the survivors. He stated that the victims “did nothing to contribute to this horrific incident, yet their lives were either lost or derailed.”
The case joins a list of some of America’s most substantial personal injury legal settlements, the largest of which remains the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement of 1998. That case sought damages from tobacco companies for the impact of smoking and the associated healthcare costs. It settled for $206 billion.
Another huge traffic-related settlement was for $4.9 billion in the 1990s, as reported by Nordean law. A defective car design caused a Chevy Malibu to burst into flames when it was struck by a drunk driver, severely burning six passengers. Other instances in which passengers suffered severe injuries resulted in $85 million and $71 million settlements in New York. Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Company jointly paid $32.5 million to driver Mark Force, who suffered a brain injury due to a faulty seatbelt.
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