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Verizon to pay $7M in wrong-way driving suit

By DAILY SOUND STAFF — July 2, 2010

A Superior Court Judge yesterday ordered Verizon Communications to pay $7 million to the family of a man  killed in a wrong-way driving accident on Highway 101 last September.

Jose Raul Reyes Vega, 49, of Goleta, was killed just after 6 a.m. on Sept. 23 when a Verizon truck slammed head on into his car near the El Sueno Road offramp.

A police investigation determined that the driver, 49-year-old Mark William Selander, headed southbound in the northbound lanes beginning near Winchester Canyon Road.

Vega’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Verizon and Selander.

The brunt of the suit, according to a statement released by the Vega family attorney, honed in on Selander’s diabetic condition, his frequent hypoglycemic attacks and Verizon’s knowledge of their employee’s condition. The attorneys maintained that Verizon did little to prevent Selander from operating dangerous machinery and working a strenuous graveyard shift schedule.

“Plaintiffs’ evidence supported the finding that any reasonable employer should have know that, with his medical history and current problems/disorders, Selander should not have been allowed to continue driving a company vehicle during the graveyard shift,” according to the statement.

According to the attorney, the award is thought to be one of the largest ever issued in Santa Barbara County Superior Court.

As of press deadline, it was unknown if Verizon plans to appeal the ruling, or if it can.

Comment on this article

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: 7/2/2010

A sad case for all. Tragic circumstances.

SV


poor reporting : 7/3/2010

Please cite your quotes accordingly and inform the public of the "players" involved. "According to the attorney" is not a good attribution - particularly when "the attorney" 's name is not mentioned at all elsewhere in the article. What is the attorney's name?

4thofjulysb


Verizon Truck : 7/3/2010

The Attorneys name is Slimy McBeedyeyes. You can find him tailgating ambulances on the way to accident scenes throughout Santa Barbara County. You may also find him sneaking in local hospitals under the guise of a family member.

Big B


@ Poor reporting : 7/3/2010

If you don't like the reporting perhaps you should do your own. Otherwise, save us the meaningless and silly critiques.

Who cares?


: 7/5/2010

Obviously and most probable is that it was the slippery attorney himself who posted the comment and demanded his own name be mentioned.


justice : 7/10/2010

im really happy for the vega family! im really sorry for your lost money will never bring your loved one back but it will deff help the vega family a lt with money and costs, 7million dollars is a whole chunck of money, i think the family will also receive more money later on by the court as well once selander gets all figured out because i believe his cout is still going on....

Truly sorry vegas


: 7/10/2010

7MILLION DOLLARS GREAT SETTLEMET. THE VEGA FAMILY HAD REALLY GOOD ATTORNEYS BRYAN PANISH huge man, Stoll jr big man as well, good job! 7MILLION IN SANTA BARBARA IS THE MOS RECORD BEAT SETTLEMET right now.

JAIME smith


Mark Selander Verizon employee kills Mr. Vega on freeway : 7/12/2010

I am very upset that Selander has not been charged with involuntary manslaughter. My daughter is a type I diabetic and she is very religious about her diet, taking sugar levels ect. A hypo attack is caused the majority of the time when a diabetic fails to eat to counter react the insulin his pump or self ingestion is given to the body. If you don't eat, the insulin will as it's suppose to, depleat the sugar in your body. If you go below the threshold, your body cannot function without sugar, and boom an attack occurs. Had he eat a cheeseburger or a doughnut,Mr. Vega would be alive today

Death could have been avoided


Why was he working : 7/12/2010

My daughter is a full on diabetic and she knows what happens if she does not eat: Sugar low followed by an attack, which can kill you in more ways than one. THE DMV will (or is suppose to) automatically take his license away for one year. He evidently has a history of not eating, otherwise, he wouldn't get hypoglycemia bouts. All he had t o do was drink juice, which is what he is suppose to have on him 24/7, and he would have never killed Mr. Vega. As of today, he still is on the VZ payroll.

A pissed off VZ employee


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