MOTOR VEHICLE
Coca-Cola hit with $21.5 million verdict for collision
On May 4, a jury awarded $21.5 million to a woman involved in a collision with a Coca-Cola truck driver who was talking on a hands-free cell phone. Vanice Chatman-Wilson was driving in Corpus Christi when she was struck by Araceli Venessa Cabral. Plaintiff’s counsel maintained that Coca-Cola had a negligent policy in place that allowed employees to talk on their hands-free phones while driving. Coca-Cola conceded that its driver was responsible for the accident but argued that his use of the cell phone was not the proximate cause of the accident. The award included $10 million in punitive damages.
