Oldham County, Kentucky Jury Awards $10.5M in Fatal Drunk Driving Crash

A motorist died two months after a motor vehicle collision in Oldham County, Kentucky, in June 2012. The incident occurred when an intoxicated driver, who had spent the day drinking at a local quarry and was later sent home from work due to his condition, crossed the center line and struck a motorcyclist. The motorcyclist sustained serious injuries and later died. In November 2012, the motorcyclist's widow filed a complaint in the Kentucky Circuit Court for Oldham County, individually and as the administratrix of the estate.

The lawsuit named the intoxicated driver, the owners of the quarry where the driver had been drinking, the restaurant where the driver was employed, and the owner and loaner of the vehicle involved in the collision as defendants. The plaintiff asserted claims of negligence against these parties.

The matter proceeded to a jury trial in October 2015. The jury returned a verdict in the plaintiff's favor, awarding over $10.5 million in damages. This total included $5 million for loss of consortium and $2.5 million in punitive damages. The jury allocated fault as follows: 50% to the intoxicated driver, 30% to the individual who loaned the vehicle, and 20% to the owners of the quarry. The total verdict amount was reportedly nearly ten times larger than the previous largest recorded verdict in Oldham County.