Jury Verdict Holds Teenage Driver Accountable In Catastrophic Street Racing Accident

Jury Verdict Holds Teenage Driver Accountable In Catastrophic Street Racing Accident

On Friday, January 22, 2016, a 6 person jury returned a verdict placing 40% liability on a teenage driver and his mother, in a bifurcated trial involving a car crash where both the Plaintiff, 16-year-old Alicia M. Fallon, and the Defendant, Jonathan Avalo, were street racing in a Ft. Lauderdale suburb.

The accident occurred near the intersection of Riverside Drive and N.W. 35th Court in Broward County, Florida. According to a witness account, Fallon and Avalo were street racing when she lost control of her vehicle, crossed the median and crashed into another car. Fallon suffered catastrophic injuries that left her profoundly brain damaged and wheelchair bound. During the trial, Plaintiff attorneys Sean C. Domnick and Michael J. Brevda of Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa argued that even though the Defendant did not collide with Fallon’s vehicle, he shared partial responsibility for the tragic result. While the defendants argued no causation, the jury disagreed.

“Alicia Fallon paid a grave price for the choices she made but she didn’t act alone and the jury agreed that the defendant is partially liable and should be held accountable,” said Sean C. Domnick, a Shareholder at Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa.

The verdict was issued in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court under presiding Judge Carlos Rodriguez. “The next phase in litigation is a trial to determine the damages which is expected to be significant as Ms. Fallon’s life care plan requires tens of millions of dollars for her long term care and survival,” commented Attorney Michael Brevda.

Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa is a national civil litigation firm based in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The firm specializes in complex litigation including catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, trucking, and bad faith litigation. For more information, visit pbglaw.com or call 561-462-5348.