$10 Million Wrongful Death Claim Victory
A San Jacinto County jury awarded $10,000,000 to the plaintiffs in a wrongful
death claim on Monday. Mark and Ryan Wham of Wham & Rogers, PLLC, along
with co-counsel Bennie Rush, represented the parents of Marley Chapla, a 21-
year-old college student who was killed when an 18-wheeler attempted to cross
US-59 and blocked Ms. Chapla’s lane in the process.
The plaintiffs alleged that the defendant, Curtis Adair, was responsible for the
collision because he made an unsafe left across highway 59, blocking both
southbound lanes. The defense argued that Marley Chapla was primarily
responsible for her death, because she was driving at an excess rate of speed.
The jury found that the truck driver was 75% responsible for Ms. Chapla’s death,
and that Ms. Chapla was 25% responsible.
The jury awarded damages totaling $10,000,000.00, with $9,000,000.00 going to
the parents for past and future mental anguish and loss of companionship with
their daughter, and $1,000,000.00 going to Ms. Chapla’s estate, for mental
anguish she suffered prior to her death.
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