Las Vegas, NV – In a landmark verdict, a Nevada state court jury awarded $550 million to the widow of a man killed by a drunk driver en route to a local church. The substantial sum includes $50 million in compensatory damages and a staggering $500 million in punitive damages, signaling a significant judicial statement on reckless driving.
The case centered around the tragic death of Marcial Escobia, who was struck while his vehicle was at an intersection. Kevin Raspperry, the offending driver, had been driving at more than double the speed limit and was under the influence of alcohol, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and marijuana at the time of the crash. The Clark County jury’s decision came after Judge Mark Denton found Raspperry liable, as he had already been criminally convicted for his role in the crash.
During the trial, the plaintiff’s legal team, led by attorney Kimball Jones, highlighted the extreme recklessness of Raspperry’s actions, which took place while Escobia, a former priest turned nurse, was heading to church. The defense, on the other hand, pushed for a significantly lower sum, arguing against punitive damages altogether and suggesting compensatory damages be capped at $7 million.
The trial and subsequent jury decision were captured by Courtroom View Network, which provided gavel-to-gavel coverage. The network offers unlimited on-demand access to the trial footage through its subscription-based service, which houses an extensive archive of civil trial recordings across the United States.
The legal proceedings not only presented a detailed account of the incident but also painted a broader picture of the consequences of impaired and reckless driving. Jones, in post-trial comments, expressed confidence that the punitive damages award would hold up on appeal despite Nevada’s cap on such awards at three times the compensatory damages for cases where the latter exceed $100,000.
The punitive award size is largely seen as a reflection of the jury’s response to what Jones described as “reprehensible” behavior by Raspperry. The attorney underscored Raspperry’s lack of remorse during his deposition and his continuous denial of responsibility for the crash, factors that likely contributed to the jury’s decision.
Further complicating the case was the involvement of USAA, the insurer for Raspperry’s mother, who owned the vehicle involved in the crash. While USAA settled by paying out the policy limit on behalf of Raspperry’s mother, Raspperry himself was excluded from this settlement. According to Jones, USAA’s initial failure to provide reasonable settlement offers led to the need for a trial.
Defense attorneys Jason Fowler and George Ranalli, representing Raspperry, have not publicly commented on the verdict or its implications. The case details and its outcomes are likely to influence future discussions and legal strategies involving similar incidents of drunk driving and the pursuit of punitive damages.
This case, officially recorded as Nimfa Escobia v. Kevin Raspperry, case number A-21-842834-C, is expected to set a precedent in how damages are determined in wrongful death lawsuits involving impaired drivers, especially in instances involving multiple substances and exceedingly reckless behavior.