Blog Post

$6 Million Settlement in Santa Monica Market Car Accident Deaths Lawsuits


June 04, 2008
Topic: Auto Accidents

A settlement of $6 million has been agreed upon by the city of Santa Monica, California to settle the final lawsuits arising from the market accident of 2003, when an elderly driver mowed his way through shoppers in a busy street market. The agreement comes just as jury selection for a Superior Court trial was going on. The two lawsuits were brought by the families of victims, including a 7-month-old boy and an injured person. In all, three people died in the accident.

On July 16th 2003, 86-year-old George Wells was in his 1992 Buick LeSabre when it hit a car just before it reached the market. Wells continue to drive fast ignoring the sign that said the road was closed. He went through barricades, and entered the market. He then plowed through the dozens of shoppers, hitting people and crashing into food stalls. He was driving at 60 mph. By the time the carnage ended, 3 people had died and dozens had been injured.

Investigations later found that Weller in his panic stepped on the gas, and not the brake. He was convicted of 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Even as he was found guilty, Weller remained defiant, and refused to accept responsibility for the accident. Because of his poor health at the time of conviction, Weller was sentenced to 5 years of probation.

After the accident, dozens of those injured and families of victims filed lawsuits against Weller and the city Bayside District Co-operation that manages the area where the market was held. The lawsuits alleged personal injury, wrongful death and negligence. Now, the city has agreed to pay $6 million to settle the final lawsuits.

The same insurer covers the district and the city. The money is expected to be paid within 30 days.

The accident sparked off a debate about the driving rights of the elderly, and whether they should be required to pass additional driving tests at the time of renewal of their licenses. The debate is an ongoing one, and it is a highly emotional one too. We at the Reeves Law Group believe that driving is a privilege, and not a right. If a person is not able to drive with all his faculties intact - whether due to the influence of alcohol or drugs or because of advanced age or any other condition that might affect his coordination and concentration abilities - then he should not be behind the wheel. Weller, it is clear, had seen his best driving years behind him, and should probably not have been driving the car.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.