Jury Awards Woman $31.9M in California Bus-Truck Crash

A Sacramento Countym Calif., jury has awarded nearly $32 million to a woman who was paralyzed and suffered brain damage in a 2010 traffic collision.

The Sacramento Bee reports Saturday that jurors found Silva Trucking must pay 56-year-old Debra Hackett $31.9 million.

Hackett was driving an 18-passenger bus on Highway 12 about 30 miles south of Sacramento when she collided with a big-rig that had jackknifed in front of her from the opposite direction.

She was made a paraplegic, suffered skull and facial fractures and traumatic brain injury. Hackett’s husband was awarded $3 million.

Silva Trucking, which employed the truck driver, didn’t dispute liability, the trial was held only to determine the penalty. A man who picked up the phone at the company said Silva would have no immediate comment.