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Willie Gary Targets D.C. Transit Authority Over Fatal Rail Crash
The American Lawyer
July 01, 2009
Famed plaintiffs lawyer Willie Gary, having shaken off the racketeering charges in a suit claiming he raped his former secretary, is back to litigating his own cases. On Tuesday, Gary's firm -- Gary, Williams, Finney, Lewis, Watson and Sperando -- announced that it would be co-counsel in a suit on behalf of two victims of the catastrophic metro rail crash in Washington, D.C., last week that killed nine people.
Gary, along with associate Alton Hale and co-counsel Keith Watters of Keith Watters and Associates, claim Ivey Epps and her mother, Bernea Bell, were "victims of negligent inspection" by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, according to a press release. They argue the WMATA did not properly maintain and inspect brakes on the line Epps and Bell were riding, and that it failed to pull the railcars from service even though it knew they weren't suitable for travel due to faulty safety equipment. Here's a copy of the suit.
"This is a very sad and unfortunate occurrence," Gary said in a statement. "Hundreds of people rely on the public transportation system in the DC area and it is a trusted mode of transportation. It is up to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to take the necessary steps and precautions to ensure that the passengers are safe. They owe it to those who rely on them to keep the passengers safe."
The WMATA did not return a call seeking comment.
Gary is known for his high-profile jury verdicts, including a $240 million verdict against the Walt Disney Corporation, $139.6 million verdict for the Maris Distributing Company against Anheuser Busch and $500 million against Canadian funeral home chain Loewen Group.
But these days he's also just as well known for his legal troubles. A former secretary sued him in 2007 claiming he raped her, and last week it emerged he had not paid $239,196 in taxes on five properties to Martin County in Florida, according to The Stuart News. ("I'm going to pay my taxes, but strategy wise, and specifically with the economy being the way it is, the money that you do have, you've just got to hold onto it right now," Gary told the News. "Timing could be everything. Timing could save money. Timing could be a good investment.")
We reached out to Gary's office for comment, but didn't hear back.
This article first appeared on The Am Law Litigation Daily blog on AmericanLawyer.com.
