Davis Law Group, P.S.

Woman injured in collision with drunk driver awarded $5.5 million l Lawyers In Washington State

Whatcom County and the state must pay $5.5 million after a Skagit County Superior Court jury determined that their negligence allowed a drunk driver to injure a local woman.

Hailey French sued Janine Parker, the county, and the Washington State Patrol.   The county will have to pay $2.8 million, the state about $2.6 million and Parker $25,000.  The jury found that Parker was more at fault for the crash than the county and state, but she doesn’t have insurance to pay for the amount awarded.

French was seriously injured after Parker’s car crossed the center line on Mount Baker Highway and collided with her car early Jan. 4, 2007.

French spent 45 days in Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after the crash and has undergone numerous surgeries as a result of her injuries.

The jury found that the county and the State Patrol were negligent in not preventing Parker from driving drunk before the crash.  Parker was found passed out behind the wheel at the intersection of Sunset Drive and Barkley Boulevard hours before the crash. State Patrol Trooper Chad Bosman arrested and cited Parker for DUI but did not impound her car, release her to a sober person or book her into the Whatcom County Jail.

Instead he gave her back her keys and told her not to drive until she sobered up. After the trooper left Parker called a began driving east on Mount Baker Highway before turning around and colliding with French.