$18 million judgment hits trash company

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2001 | 9:45 a.m.

A Clark County jury Friday returned an $18 million judgment against Republic Services of Nevada in connection with a car accident that left a Las Vegas woman brain-damaged.

According to court records, the jury awarded Elizabeth Guerrero $9 million for past and future pain and suffering and $7.5 million for future medical damages. The remainder of the award pertains to past medical bills, and past and future loss of earnings.

Guerrero, now 23, was driving on Cheyenne Avenue in October 1997 when she was rear-ended by a Republic Services dump truck. She was left in a coma for a week, and when she awakened, she was suffering from brain damage.

Attorneys for Guerrero and Republic Services could not be reached for comment this morning.

The jury reached its verdict at 6:30 p.m. Friday after listening to three weeks of testimony in District Judge Allan Earl's courtroom.

The verdict came just days after it was announced that Republic Services had settled a lawsuit brought against it by the families of six teenagers killed while picking up trash in the median of Interstate 15 in March 2000.

The families had sued Republic Services, Clark County and Jessica Williams, the driver of the van that veered off the freeway and hit the teens.

The teens were required to pick up the trash as punishment for committing minor crimes and the trash had blown off Republic Services' trucks on the way to the landfill.

The Republic Services settlement is confidential and the Clark County commissioners are expected to approve a $3.25 million settlement today in connection with the case.

The civil case against Williams, who is serving 18 to 48 years in prison for the crash, is still pending.