Driver awarded millions after hitting dead horse in the road
A woman who crashed after hitting a dead horse in the middle of the road with her car has been awarded a $2.7 million verdict by a jury in Jefferson County.
Nanette Aurdal, 36, hit that horse while driving on Center Road one evening in December of 2001.
Aurdal's attorney, Bill McGonagle, argued in court that the horse had strayed onto the highway and was initially hit by an employee of United Telephone Company of the Northwest (now CenturyLink) driving his company truck.
McGonagle argued that driver left the scene reportedly to get help .
"He should have stopped. He had a statutory duty to stop. He had a common sense duty to stop," Bill McGonagle told KOMO Newsradio.
McGonagle told the jury that the driver was in a company utility bucket truck, equipped with flares and safety cones and could have used those to warn other drivers of the horse in the middle of the road.
It was after the driver left that McGonagle says Aurdal hit the horse and crashed her car.
McGonagle says Aurdal has suffered for nine years, "She's very limited in her stamina, energy and deals with chronic pain problems."
Lisa Willis with CenturyLink told KOMO Newsradio, "We sympathize greatly with Ms Aurdal for the injuries she sustained. However we disagree with the jury's verdict and are considering our options."
Willis went on to say, "Our driver firmly believed he was doing the safest thing possible."
McGonagle says the verdict should be a wake up call to any company with professional drivers on the road.
"They need to be conscious of traffic safety training programs," says McGonagle.
Nanette Aurdal, 36, hit that horse while driving on Center Road one evening in December of 2001.
Aurdal's attorney, Bill McGonagle, argued in court that the horse had strayed onto the highway and was initially hit by an employee of United Telephone Company of the Northwest (now CenturyLink) driving his company truck.
McGonagle argued that driver left the scene reportedly to get help .
"He should have stopped. He had a statutory duty to stop. He had a common sense duty to stop," Bill McGonagle told KOMO Newsradio.
McGonagle told the jury that the driver was in a company utility bucket truck, equipped with flares and safety cones and could have used those to warn other drivers of the horse in the middle of the road.
It was after the driver left that McGonagle says Aurdal hit the horse and crashed her car.
McGonagle says Aurdal has suffered for nine years, "She's very limited in her stamina, energy and deals with chronic pain problems."
Lisa Willis with CenturyLink told KOMO Newsradio, "We sympathize greatly with Ms Aurdal for the injuries she sustained. However we disagree with the jury's verdict and are considering our options."
Willis went on to say, "Our driver firmly believed he was doing the safest thing possible."
McGonagle says the verdict should be a wake up call to any company with professional drivers on the road.
"They need to be conscious of traffic safety training programs," says McGonagle.
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