Jury Awards $15 Million for Death of Sisters in Enterprise Rental Car Crash
By Jim Greene
Published on July 13, 2010
A jury in California has ordered Enterprise Rent-A-Car to pay $15 million to the parents of two sisters killed in the 2004 fiery crash of a rental car that was subject to a safety recall. The wrongful-death lawsuit blamed the crash on a fluid leak in the power steering hose.
Raechel Houck, 24, was at the wheel of a rented 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser when it crossed the grass median on Highway 101 near Bradley, hit an oncoming truck, and burst into flames, killing her and her sister Jacqueline, 20. The two were about halfway home to Santa Cruz, returning from a visit with their grandmother in Ventura.
The PT Cruiser was among 435,000 for which a recall order had been issued, because of a possible leak in the power steering hose, which could lead to loss of control and cause a fire. Enterprise records show the car had not been serviced, and had been rented out four other times since the recall.
Enterprise blamed the fatal wreck on Rachel's driving and fought for five years to contest the wrongful-death lawsuit brought by Carol and Chuck Houck, Raechel and Jacqueline's parents. The company offered to pay the couple $3 million if the matter was kept confidential.
After an auto accident reconstruction expert hired by the plaintiffs concluded that a loss of steering control caused the crash, Enterprise ended its fight in May. Company officials signed papers admitting that its negligence was the "sole ... cause of the fatal injuries."
An Enterprise area manager testified that the company's computer system flagged vehicles subject to recall, but that there was no policy in place to prevent them from being rented out before being serviced.
If you've been injured or lost a loved one because of negligence on the part of a business, contact an experienced personal injury attorney. Businesses, especially large corporations, often hire high-priced attorneys to shield themselves from their responsibility for their actions. You need an attorney who understands how big business works if you want to get the financial compensation you deserve to deal with medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering, and loss of companionship.
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