Multi-Million Dollar Settlement Awarded to Family of a Car Accident Victim

By Andrew Weatherford

Published on September 17, 2009

A Utah jury has awarded almost $4.4 million to the family of a man who died from injuries sustained in a 2006 car accident on Interstate 15. Richard Kunzler, 38, of Payson, crashed his vehicle after swerving to avoid traffic that had backed up due to bridge construction near Spanish Fork. Kunzler died thirteen days after the crash.

Tyler Young, the Provo attorney representing Kunzler's family, argued that the victim was coming up over the crest of a hill and was not aware that traffic had backed up on the other side. The lawsuit, filed against the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and the subcontractor working on the project, claimed that the defendants were negligent for failing to post signs that warned motorists about the construction and about potential traffic delays.

The jury found that the Utah Department of Transportation was 35 percent responsible for the accident, the Staker Parson Companies were 45 percent to blame, and Kunzler was 20 percent at fault. Since Utah law limits the amount of damages that can be levied against state agencies, the amount that the UDOT is required to pay will be reduced to about $500,000. Almost $880,000 will also be deducted from the settlement since Kunzler was 20 percent at fault.

The family will end up receiving about $2.4 million of the settlement.

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