Court: Family Can Sue in Vermont Trooper’s Death

The family of Vermont State Police Sgt. Michael Johnson can sue the state’s insurance company for as much as $11 million in connection with Johnson’s death during a 2003 car chase.

That’s the upshot of a ruling from the Vermont Supreme Court, in a case in which Johnson’s estate sued the Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania.

Johnson was killed when he was struck by a car driven by Eric Daley, then 23, of Lebanon, N.H., after Johnson laid a spike strip in Interstate 91 to try to stop Daley from fleeing police.

Daley later pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter several drug charges and got a 26- to 33-year sentence.

Latest Comments

• August 27, 2009 at 1:30 am

  Batman says:

  Ah yes, the plaintiff's bar...has diluted the application of the law in order to, benefit whom? I am amazed at how hard the trial lawyers pursue things like this to satify th... read more
• August 26, 2009 at 4:40 am

  The Underwriter says:

  AL, you hit the key point. This is about Uninsured Motorists coverage, not about WC being the sole remedy. Each state has had various rulings about if this benefit applies t... read more
• August 26, 2009 at 3:46 am

  clm mgr says:

  Clearly, this is a tragedy, but there is a movement afoot throughout the country to defeat the so-called "Fireman's Rule" which has existed for a long time which says essentia... read more