A woman paralyzed from the chest down in a 2014 southeast Kansas crash has won a $38.5 million verdict.
The Joplin Globe reports that Cherokee County jurors returned the verdict after a five-day trial. Kara Hansen was just 16 and behind the wheel of a 1966 Ford Mustang when she was struck from behind while waiting to turn left into the driveway of her family’s home.
The Mustang had only a lap belt and the back of her driver’s seat broke. She hit her head on the windshield and now needs around-the-clock care.
A deputy testified that the driver who rear-ended Hansen was following too closely and not paying adequate attention. The driver was minimally insured, raising questions about how much of the verdict Hansen will receive.
Topics Kansas
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