A settlement has been reached in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the Greater Gulf State Fairgrounds in Alabama after two days of deliberations, involving the death of a man in 2006.
Relatives of the victim alleged that a gate at the Greater Gulf State Fairgrounds was defective, killing him in 2006 as he was preparing to leave the parking lot after attending the annual Spring Fling blues festival. According to testimony at the civil trial, the arm of the gate swung loose, crashing through the windshield and impaling Jones through his head.
It was argued the victim caused his own death by knocking into the gate, since they claim he was drinking during the day and had a blood alcohol level of .10, above the legal limit in Alabama.
The jury deliberated for about an hour Tuesday and most of Wednesday. At one point, the jurors asked the judge to explain the meaning of “contributory negligence,” which means that a jury is supposed to rule in favor of the defense in a wrongful death suit, if it determines that the victim was partially responsible for the accident.
This was the second time this case had gone to trial, after the first story deadlocked in February. Attorneys from both sides reached an agreement.
Contact one of our Gacovino Lake attorneys at 1-800-246-HURT (4878).
