People just don’t seem to be getting the message that driving and talking on a cellphone is dangerous. And innocent bystanders suffer the consequences. Just look at Franchesca Motta.
She was crossing a street at a crosswalk in urban Paterson, N.J., in February 2010 when a cab driver — busy talking on a cellphone — hit her, ran over her and dragged her. The cab driver then ran over Motta a second time when he put the taxi in reverse and started moving again, according to The Record.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/170103676.html?page=all
On Monday a state Superior Court jury in Paterson awarded 20-year-old Motta $785,000, The Record reported. But the story points out that Motta may never get that money, because neither cab driver Bolivar Abreu or his employer, Latino American Car Services, have enough insurance or assets to cover that amount.
The driver and cab company only have $35,000 of coverage.
Motta testified at her lawsuit’s trial that she felt the cab’s tires roll over her stomach. She had to have several operations and plastic surgery done, on scars on her knee and upper leg, according to The Record. Her nose also had to be realigned.
She testified that she is still in pain and has been disfigured by the burn she received from the taxi’s frame when it ran over her.