A New Jersey couple has reached a $500,000 settlement of a suit they filed when their motorcycle was hit by a motorist who was texting on his cellphone, according to press reports. The man and woman each lost a leg in the accident.
David and Linda Kubert, who lived in Dover, N.J., at the time of the accident, had filed a lawsuit against Kyle Best, 19 at the time of the crash, who got distracted while texting and went into their lane in Mine Hill, N.J., according to The Daily Record. The accident took place Sept. 21, 2009.
The amount of the settlement, $500,000, is the policy limit on Best’s auto insurance, The Record reported.
Both David and Linda lost a leg in the accident. They are now living in Florida, and are having a hard time financially, with neither one working, according to The Record.
Best pleaded guilty in municipal court this year to using a hand-held cellphone while driving, and was sentenced to talk at 14 high schools about the dangers of texting and driving.
A judge previously ruled that the woman who texted Best right before the accident, Shannon Colonna, cannot be sued for aiding and abetting his conduct the day of the crash. The Kuberts are appealing that ruling.