José Luquin v. David Crosby

For singer-songwriter David Crosby, a car accident is nothing new. He crashed cars into a highway divider in San Diego in 1982 and into a fence in Marin County in 1985. So when he felt his new Tesla hit something while driving near his home in Santa Ynez, California on March 22, 2015, he may have experienced a case of déjà vu. But this time he didn’t hit a partition. Crosby hit a person, and he ended up facing a case for negligence because of it.

Turn! Turn! Turn That Wheel!

Around 6 o’clock in the evening, that day, José Luquin and his minor son were jogging on the right side of a curved road. As the sun hung low, Crosby was driving on that same road at the posted speed limit, 55 miles per hour.

That is when he struck the older Luquin with the right side of his car. The impact tossed Luquin in front of his son. Crosby claimed he did not see the joggers at any point, but felt the impact. Crosby called 911 and stayed at the scene until the injured jogger was airlifted to a hospital.

An Easy Rider with Deep Pockets

Luquin retained a lawyer to pursue a personal injury claim against Crosby. In the complaint, the lawyer alleged reckless driving due to intoxication. Crosby’s reputation for drug and alcohol use played a part in his prior car accidents. While Highway Patrol did not test Crosby for intoxication, Luquin’s lawyer argued for it.

Rather than dispute the allegation in court, Crosby settled for a substantial $3 million. $50,000 of that amount was awarded to Luquin’s son. Although he evaded the collision, witnessing his father’s injury caused the 14-year-old severe emotional distress entitling him to compensation.

What a Lawyer Can Tell You

People are often unsure whether to pursue a personal injury claim because they have so many unanswered questions: Do I even have a claim if I don’t have physical injuries? What if the police report doesn’t clearly indicate who’s responsible?

We at Sam & Ash Injury Law have answers because we are experienced, accident lawyers. We will pursue every claim you are entitled to. Because when you’ve been hurt, you deserve What’s Right to carry on. Call us 24/7 for a free consultation at 1 (800) 304-2000.