Jury awards Federici $15.5 million
SEATTLE (AP) - A King County jury has awarded $15.5 million to a Renton woman who was disfigured and blinded in February 2004 when part of an entertainment center flew from a rented U-Haul trailer and crashed through her windshield.
Maria Federici's lawyers had sought $38 million in damages.
Jurors found U-Haul most liable, ordering it to pay two-thirds of the award, and said the driver who was towing the entertainment center, James Hefley, should pay the rest.
The verdict cleared Capron Holdings Inc., the owner of the Bellevue Texaco station from which Hefley rented the trailer, of blame.
The board that sailed through Federici's windshield as she drove on Interstate 405 in the suburbs east of Seattle crushed her face, leaving her blind and brain-damaged. Her attorneys argued there was no way to secure loads safely on the trailers, and that even though other accidents had been reported, U-Haul took no corrective action.
The accident inspired legislators to pass "Maria's Law," which criminalized the failure to secure a load when someone is injured or killed. Before the law took effect in 2005, drivers who lost their loads could be cited only for a traffic infraction with a maximum fine of $250.
Attorneys for Capron and U-Haul tried to put the blame on Hefley, who, they said, simply did not properly secure the entertainment center. They also suggested Federici was tailgating and that her reactions may have been slowed by a glass of wine.
"We feel the trailer in question was safe. There are thousands out there on the road being used every day. In fact, this particular trailer had almost 9,000 transactions with almost no incidents," said Carl Gilmore, attorney for U-Haul.
The jury disagreed, assigning zero liability to Federici.
Federici's attorney Bill Leedom said the money should be enough to take care of Federici for the rest of her life.
"We think it's a reasonable level, certainly could have been higher, could have been lower. But we leave that up to the jury. Lawyers only make suggestions. And I don't think any of us would trade places with Maria for $38 million or a billion dollars," Leedom said.
"It was a complete relief. It really was," Federici said. "I can have a house, a place to live. And just try to pick up where I left off three and a half years ago. And just live and spend time with my friends and just do the same things that I always used to do."
"(I felt) relief for my daughter. She'll have some quality of life, independence," said Federici's mother, Robin Abel. "I can't stress this enough. She was an adult when this happened. She needs to live like an adult once again and have her own place."
But what Federici's family really wants is for U-Haul to take another look at the design of their trailer, which they believe to be unsafe.
"It (the money) doesn't make these glass eyes work. It doesn't allow to me to smell things. It doesn't make all these things disappear," Federici said.
"I would give it all back in a minute if I could just have her the way she was before. It's never been about money," Abel added.
A lawyer for U-Haul expressed disappointment in the verdict.
"We were disappointed that a lot of the evidence was not allowed to go to the jury. Some of the evidence was prejudice against U-Haul," Gilmore said. "U-haul will have to consider its options, including an appeal."
Leedom said he fully expects that appeal to be filed, but said he is confident that their evidence will stand up to the appeal.
The trial lasted six weeks in King County Superior Court. Federici told jurors she has limited feeling on her left side, can't smell anything, is unable to open her jaw more than a fraction of an inch and lives with chronic pain.
U-Haul said they planned to appeal Friday's decision. Federici's lawyer said they are prepared to fight the case to the end.
Maria Federici's lawyers had sought $38 million in damages.
Jurors found U-Haul most liable, ordering it to pay two-thirds of the award, and said the driver who was towing the entertainment center, James Hefley, should pay the rest.
The verdict cleared Capron Holdings Inc., the owner of the Bellevue Texaco station from which Hefley rented the trailer, of blame.
The board that sailed through Federici's windshield as she drove on Interstate 405 in the suburbs east of Seattle crushed her face, leaving her blind and brain-damaged. Her attorneys argued there was no way to secure loads safely on the trailers, and that even though other accidents had been reported, U-Haul took no corrective action.
The accident inspired legislators to pass "Maria's Law," which criminalized the failure to secure a load when someone is injured or killed. Before the law took effect in 2005, drivers who lost their loads could be cited only for a traffic infraction with a maximum fine of $250.
Attorneys for Capron and U-Haul tried to put the blame on Hefley, who, they said, simply did not properly secure the entertainment center. They also suggested Federici was tailgating and that her reactions may have been slowed by a glass of wine.
"We feel the trailer in question was safe. There are thousands out there on the road being used every day. In fact, this particular trailer had almost 9,000 transactions with almost no incidents," said Carl Gilmore, attorney for U-Haul.
The jury disagreed, assigning zero liability to Federici.
Federici's attorney Bill Leedom said the money should be enough to take care of Federici for the rest of her life.
"We think it's a reasonable level, certainly could have been higher, could have been lower. But we leave that up to the jury. Lawyers only make suggestions. And I don't think any of us would trade places with Maria for $38 million or a billion dollars," Leedom said.
"It was a complete relief. It really was," Federici said. "I can have a house, a place to live. And just try to pick up where I left off three and a half years ago. And just live and spend time with my friends and just do the same things that I always used to do."
"(I felt) relief for my daughter. She'll have some quality of life, independence," said Federici's mother, Robin Abel. "I can't stress this enough. She was an adult when this happened. She needs to live like an adult once again and have her own place."
But what Federici's family really wants is for U-Haul to take another look at the design of their trailer, which they believe to be unsafe.
"It (the money) doesn't make these glass eyes work. It doesn't allow to me to smell things. It doesn't make all these things disappear," Federici said.
"I would give it all back in a minute if I could just have her the way she was before. It's never been about money," Abel added.
A lawyer for U-Haul expressed disappointment in the verdict.
"We were disappointed that a lot of the evidence was not allowed to go to the jury. Some of the evidence was prejudice against U-Haul," Gilmore said. "U-haul will have to consider its options, including an appeal."
Leedom said he fully expects that appeal to be filed, but said he is confident that their evidence will stand up to the appeal.
The trial lasted six weeks in King County Superior Court. Federici told jurors she has limited feeling on her left side, can't smell anything, is unable to open her jaw more than a fraction of an inch and lives with chronic pain.
U-Haul said they planned to appeal Friday's decision. Federici's lawyer said they are prepared to fight the case to the end.
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