$1 Million Awarded to Woman in Carson Nugget Lawsuit

By Merylee Robbins

Published on September 07, 2005

In 2003, 68-year-old Christine Rasner, a Carson City, Nevada resident, was accidentally hit by an SUV driven by Carson Nugget parking attendant, Sammy Phelps, as she and her fiancé, Troy Price, 81 headed to lunch at the casino. As Phelps backed up the SUV, he struck the couple, inflicting sever bodily injuries to Rasner, including debilitating head injuries, broken ribs, and a lacerated liver. Rasner's head injuries subsequently caused a stroke, which impaired her ability to live independently.

The jury initially agreed to award Rasner $1,007,000, but reduced the amount to $725,000 after finding her partially responsible for the accident. The jury cited that Rasner walked directly behind vehicle, consequently finding her responsible for contributory negligence. Although the award was reduced, upper and lower limits to damages decided before the trial, set the minimum amount to be given to Rasner at $970,000.

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