Cases of note

Court Upholds $53M Judgment On Oakland Driver

(AP) OAKLAND A state appeals court has upheld a $53 million judgment against a drunken driver who broadsided a Berkeley woman who almost died from her injuries.

Earlier this month, a state appellate court in San Francisco dismissed an appeal of the ruling against Tyrone Hazel of Oakland. Hazel was convicted of drunken driving with great bodily injury in connection with the accident in Oakland in 2000 and served about 10 months in a furlough program.

Hazel, who was 22 at the time of the accident, said he was speeding to a family emergency after a night of drinking and playing cards when he slammed into Theresa Johnson of Berkeley, who was headed to work at Oakland International Airport.

Earlier this year, Johnson, 35, won a $53 million verdict in Alameda County Superior Court for her pain and suffering. Legal experts say it's one of the largest amounts ever won by a victim of drunk driving.

The accident left her with a crushed pelvis and punctured lungs, and she has since undergone four major surgeries.

"The courts have delivered a no-nonsense message — drunk drivers will no longer be coddled," said Johnson's attorney, Robert Cheasty. "Our courts will make them pay for the sorrow and wreckage they cause."

In October, Hazel said he would like to pay Johnson but said he did not have a job and that no amount of money will change what happened to her.

Johnson said Monday she does not expect to see any money but was pleased with the judgment.

"It's not so much about the money, but he should be accountable in some other way," Johnson said. "He should be made to pay in some other way because he cannot pay financially."

CBS5 Article