Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

State Supreme Court upholds $4.5 million judgment in DUI car crash

CARSON CITY — A $4.5 million judgment awarded to a Las Vegas man who was severely injured when the car he was riding in overturned in July 2002 has been upheld by the Nevada Supreme Court.

Aaron Cromer was rendered an incomplete quadriplegic with severe disability to his hands, arms and legs when the car driven by William G. Wilson rolled over.

Wilson was convicted of felony drunk driving and reckless driving. Wilson’s blood alcohol level was 0.31, and the state’s limit to legally drive was 0.10. And he also had cocaine in his system.

The court said the convictions of Wilson established his liability for the accident. It ruled District Judge Mark Denton should have granted a pre-trial summary judgment that Wilson was liable for the accident.

The court said a jury trial should then have been held on the amount of damages and whether Cromer was partly responsible for the accident.

The jury in the civil case ruled that Wilson was liable and was 75 percent at fault and Cromer was 25 percent at fault.

Wilson was allowed at trial to argue comparative negligence on the part of Cromer to reduce the amount of the judgment.

The court said combining the issue of liability and damages at the trial was the incorrect legal procedure but added, “The appropriate outcome was reached.”

It said the court will affirm the findings of the District Court that reached the correct result even if for the wrong reason.

Cromer had appealed, arguing that Wilson should have been barred from using comparative negligence because he had been convicted of the felonies.

But the court rejected the appeal of Cromer and also upheld the decision of Denton, who denied the motion by Cromer for attorney fees and interest.

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