Billy Lane - Choppers Inc. DUI Arrest

I believe in Florida, for felony convictions, you are required to serve 85% of the time, which means he would only be eligible for parole after 5 years and 1 month, so I doubt he will be out in 2.

 

The civil suit was already filed and settled. He was driving a Chrysler-owned truck and they paid out a settlement to have the suit dropped.

 

Just to be clear...

From your post, I assume Chrysler settled and not Lane, but maybe I'm mistaken. His conviction and sentencing in the criminal case took until now to reach the conclusion (many years after the incident). And, commonly, criminal cases move through the courts quicker than civil cases do (right to a speedy trial). So, he, as an individual, may still have to deal with a civil suit. Also, as a plaintiff, I would have waited for the criminal case to play out before settling, as the leverage one would have after a criminal conviction would be substantial. And, an acquittal on the criminal charges wouldn't necessarily hurt the plaintiff's civil case.

CW

 

I still have issue with Chrysler having to pay out anything, just because they sponsored or owned the vehicle he was driving. Seems frivilous to me. Unless I'm not comprehending something?

 

Typically when a manufacturer loans out a vehicle like that, even for a long period of time, the insurance on that vehicle is maintained by the manufacturer. I used to work at a company that kept the public relations and product placement fleets for several manufacturers and in cases where they would loan out a vehicle for sometimes as long as a year, the registration plates and insurance on them were all covered by the manufacturer.

I recall one specific incident when an accident occurred in one of our vehicles that was on loan to a major magazine, where the magazine's driver was at fault and caused injuries to other parties, it was the manufacturer's insurer who had to cover the financial responsibility.

Perhaps they could later try to sue to recover damages from those who were actually at fault, but it sounds like in Billy Lane's case he's got significant financial problems these days with legal bills of his own, so that is likely a lost cause.

More details of the wrongful death lawsuit and DCX's involvement are spelled out pretty clearly here:

http://www.mikeodom.name/2006/10/06/lane-sued

>8^)
ER

 

Thanks for clarifying that for me.

 

In some states, you are liable if you own the vehicle, but usually the limit for an owner is the minimum insurance you are required to have. This makes sure that the owner has insurance on the car.

However, if you give a vehicle to someone you know, or should know will use it illegally, recklessly, or carelessly, you are liable for the damage they cause. It's called negligent entrustment. It is generally used to get parents who let their kids drive when they knew their kids are a danger to everyone else on the road. This is a classic example: they gave a known drunk a truck, and he used it to kill an innocent, and you think this isn't a righteous case?

Art

 

All true, and as the way the laws are today, it was a clear cut case, I imagine. But, should it be this way? Billy Lane was the guy that drove drunk and killed the other driver. Not Chrysler. My point is how far do we extend liability past the individual responsible for the bad acts? As a lawyer, I accept the law as it is, but I wonder whether we go too far.

CW

 

cshlr would have been better off by ,just giving him the truck,not loaning it out,i wonder if this changes the way car compaines give out cars/trucks

 

I'm sure there is a legal thing that wuld still place liability on Chrysler if they had given a truck to the drunk. Giving an implement of destruction is no less dangerous than loaning one out, so they would probably be sued anyways. If you give a gun to a killer are you relived of the liability when they kill someone?
Am I missing something?

BT

 

Lane got 6 years and that is a long time when you are 40 but it does seem a little lite. He had 2 previous DUI's before this one. He also injured a 22 year old passenger in his car. She is also suing saying she is permanently unable to work. He is in jail now and he will have a lot of time to think it all over.