Last Updated: May 2nd, 2022 at 9:21 pm
Read Time: 4 Minutes
In the lifestyle of the rich and the famous, it’s important to remember that even the most glamorous celebrities are prone to accidents. From comedians and Grammy-award-winning artists to Olympic athletes, celebrities are no strangers to car crashes. And just like ‘normal people,’ they need to hire an experienced auto accident attorney.
Check out these four celebrities you didn’t know hired an auto accident attorney.
1. Gloria Estefan’s $8.5 Million Settlement
In 1990, Cuban-American songstress and pop sensation Gloria Estefan was sitting in her tour bus with her husband, young son, and members of her crew. The tour bus was stopped in traffic in the snowy Pocono Mountains when it was rear-ended by a large truck, devastating the vehicle.
Estefan’s back was broken, her husband suffered head injuries, and her child broke his collarbone. As a result of Estefan’s injuries, the singer had to cancel her tour and undergo surgery to implant two steel rods into her back. She spent nearly a year recuperating.
Estefan’s auto accident attorney sued the truck driver as well as his employer, the owner of the truck, and four other affiliated companies related to the goods transported on the truck. Estefan, her family members, and the crew members received an $8.5 million settlement from the seven defendants.
2. Michael Phelps 2009 Scare
In August of 2009, Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps was struck by a 28-year-old woman driving a Honda Accord. Immediately following the accident, the at-fault driver was taken to a local hospital complaining of back and neck pain. However, further investigation showed the at-fault motorist ran a red light at an intersection.
Phelps’ Cadillac SUV crashed into the driver’s side of her vehicle after she failed to yield to the red light. Footage from the scene as well as eye witness accounts proved Phelps’ was at no fault in the accident. It’s unsure if Phelps’ filed a separate suit in order to be compensated for property damage, but luckily both local law enforcement and an auto accident attorney were able to deduce his lack of liability for the other driver’s injuries.
3. Tracy Morgan’s Rumored $90 Million Walmart Settlement
In 2014, a Walmart truck slammed into the back of a limo van transporting actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, Morgan’s assistant Jeffrey Millea and his wife Krista, comedian Ardie Fuqua, and comedian James “Jimmy Mack” McNair. The Milleas and Fuqua suffered various injuries. Morgan suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), broken ribs, and a broken leg. McNair was killed in the accident.
It was found that the driver of the Walmart truck was speeding and had fallen asleep at the wheel after being awake for more than 24 hours. The driver was in violation of federal law intended to prevent fatigue-induced accidents, and Walmart was ruled negligent for allowing the employee to continue driving.
McNair’s 19- and 26-year-old children filed a wrongful death suit for the death of their father against Walmart, and were awarded $10 million in compensation. Morgan, Fuqua, and the Milleas then filed a personal injury lawsuit against Walmart, in which Morgan received a rumored $90 million settlement. According to court papers filed by insurers involved in the dispute, “more than 90% of the settlements entered into by Walmart were for the Morgan and Fuqua claims.”
4. Caitlin Jenner Involved in Fatal Accident
In 2015, Caitlin Jenner, who had not yet publicly transitioned from Bruce, rear-ended the Lexus of a 69-year-old woman, pushing her into the path of an oncoming Hummer. The victim died at the scene. Jenner’s vehicle continued forward, crashing into the back of a Prius in a multi-car pileup.
The deceased’s family filed a wrongful death claim against Jenner, and the driver of the Prius filed a personal injury claim, despite the collision being part of a multi-vehicle accident. The Sheriff’s Department reported that Jenner was traveling at an unsafe speed, and eye-witnesses claimed she was talking on the telephone at the time the accident occurred.
Jenner was cleared of all charges, but working with an auto accident attorney, the former Olympian settled both lawsuits with both the deceased’s stepchildren and the driver of the Prius.
Money, fame, and notoriety do not make you exempt from the trauma of an auto accident. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, heed the actions of these celebrities, and work with qualified auto accident attorneys. At Weinstein Legal, our dedicated attorneys are ready to take your call today. Contact us now to begin working on your case.
