Sacramento Jury Holds Sacramento Regional Transit Liable For Bus Accident Resulting In The Wrongful Death And Awards Millions In Damages
On Nov. 5, 2012, a Sacramento County jury found Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) liable for thewrongful death of Joyce Jacobs and awarded her husband, John Jacobs, and son, Anthony Jacobs, more than $2.4 million in damages. The Jacobs family was represented by Robert A. Buccola, Steven M. Campora and Jason J. Sigel of Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora, LLP. The verdict came nearly five years after Mrs. Jacobs was killed by a left-turning RT bus at the intersection of 8th Street and Q Street in downtown Sacramento.
RT relied heavily on the testimony of eyewitnesses who said that Mrs. Jacobs was not in the crosswalk at the time she was struck by the bus. At trial, DBBWC proved that Mrs. Jacobs was in fact in the crosswalk when she was run over. DBBWC retained engineers and forensic experts to reconstruct the accident. A 3D laser scan of the entire intersection and the bus was conducted, which allowed the jury to see exactly how the accident occurred. After considering this evidence, the jury found RT 100 percent responsible for Mrs. Jacobs’ death. The jury also heard extensive testimony concerning Mrs. Jacobs’ shortened life expectancy due to end stage kidney failure and morbid obesity.
In an interview with the Sacramento Bee following the verdict, Mr. Campora said, “Clearly we’re happy that the Jacobs family got a verdict that establishes that their wife and mother didn’t do anything wrong.”
“The jury’s verdict vindicates Joyce Jacobs and can allow her family to begin to heal from the pain caused by RT’s effort to avoid responsibility for this terrible loss. This verdict shows that the system works and that at the end of the day, justice will be done,” said Robert Buccola after the verdict.
