The family of a man who was killed on September 23, 2009 by a wrong-way driver in a head-on collision on Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County has been awarded $7 million in a wrongful death settlement. According to a Santa Barbara Independent article, a Verizon employee drove the wrong way onto the freeway after suffering from a diabetic reaction. Before causing the six-car accident that took the life of the minivan motorist, the Verizon employee traveled southbound on northbound lanes for eight miles.
Brian Panish of the plaintiff’s law firm Panish Shea & Boyle LLP represented the deceased man’s family. In the article, Brian Panish states that Verizon knew of the employee’s diabetic condition but failed to do anything about it, and that the employee had a history of diabetic reaction incidents that were not appropriately dealt with by the company. Mr. Panish emphasized the importance of Verizon accepting its responsibility for the crash and his hope that this type of accident will not happen again.
As one of the largest wrongful death settlements on record in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, the $7 million will be divided among five family members with the man’s widow receiving $4 million and his children and grandchildren collecting either $1 million or $500,000 each.
The Los Angeles wrongful death attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have consistently been recognized by various organizations and publications as being among the best plaintiff’s attorneys in the United States. Our aggressive and skilled legal team is dedicated to helping our clients during what can be the most difficult and challenging time in their lives. Please call 877-800-1700 for a free consultation and to learn more about how the attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP can assist you with your case.
