Accidents - Verdict in favor of Plaintiff in the amount of US$16,700,000

Case Name:	Sharla Kay Graham, et al. vs. Senior Living Properties, LLC and Alisa Prueitt
Case Number:	067-269110-13
Verdict Date:	2015-02-04
Outcome Type:	Jury Verdict
Court:	Please see attached case summary.
Incident Date:	2013-08-14

Plaintiff's Complaint:
A Tarrant County jury has awarded more than $16 million to the family of a Hamilton man who died after a vehicle driven by a nursing home employee crashed into the family's car in August 2013. Samuel Dale Graham, 37, died on Aug. 24, 2013 when the car he was driving was in a collision with another vehicle driven by Alisa Prueitt, 43, of Gatesville after Prueitt was sent home from her job at the Hamilton Healthcare Center because she was drunk. Prueitt is serving a, 18-year prison sentence after she pleaded guilty to both intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault in November 2013. Both Prueitt and the nursing home's parent company, Senior Living Properties, were named in the lawsuit filed by Sharla Graham, the victim's wife, which charged negligence in Samuel Graham's death. Sarla Graham and her children, who were 8- and 11-years-old at the time, were injured in the crash, as well. The jury found the company 65 percent responsible and Prueitt 35 percent responsible for the accident, the lawsuit ruling showed. Dale Williams, a Waco attorney who represented the Graham family, said the jury accepted the plaintiff's argument that "if she was too drunk to work, she was too drunk to drive." The lawsuit held that the company faced the majority of the liability because company officials sent Prueitt home from her job knowing that she was impaired and should not drive.

Injury, Damage, or Loss:


Defendant's Wrongdoing:
Samuel Dale Graham, 37, died on Aug. 24, 2013 when the car he was driving was in a collision with another vehicle driven by Alisa Prueitt, 43, of Gatesville after Prueitt was sent home from her job at the Hamilton Healthcare Center because she was drunk. Prueitt is serving a, 18-year prison sentence after she pleaded guilty to both intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault in November 2013. Both Prueitt and the nursing home's parent company, Senior Living Properties, were named in the lawsuit filed by Sharla Graham, the victim's wife, which charged negligence in Samuel Graham's death. Sarla Graham and her children, who were 8- and 11-years-old at the time, were injured in the crash, as well. The jury found the company 65 percent responsible and Prueitt 35 percent responsible for the accident, the lawsuit ruling showed. Dale Williams, a Waco attorney who represented the Graham family, said the jury accepted the plaintiff's argument that "if she was too drunk to work, she was too drunk to drive." The lawsuit held that the company faced the majority of the liability because company officials sent Prueitt home from her job knowing that she was impaired and should not drive.

Plaintiff's Attorneys:
Laura Brown\nWilliams & Brown, LLP\nBrown@TrialFirm.com\nDale Williams\nWilliams & Brown, LLP\n7901 Fish Pond Road\nWaco, Texas 76710\nP: 254-741-6200\nF: 254-741-6300\nwww.TrialFirm.com

Defendant's Attorneys:
Lee Cameron\nKrisina Oropeza\nWilson Elser Moskowitz Edelmen & Dicker, LLP\nBank of America Plaza\n901 Main Street, Suite 4800\nDallas, Texas 75202\n214-698-8015\nRepresenting Defendant Senior Living Properties, LLC\n\nKelly Crain\nLeslie Wong\nMeadow Park Tower\n10440 North Central Expressway, Suite 1500\nDallas, Texas 75231\n214-347-8340\nRepresenting Defendant Alisa Pursuit

Judge/Arbitrator/Mediator:
The Honorable Don Cosby\n67th Judicial District, Tarrant County, Texas\n401 West Belknap\nFort Worth, Texas 76196\n817-884-1452

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Published on Oct-23-15