Car Crash Attorney Wins $1.2M Settlement for Family of Elderly Couple Killed in Head-On Crash in 2019

A $1.2 million settlement has been reached for the family of an elderly Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, couple who died in a head-on car crash in October 2019 when another car crossed a double yellow line on a curve and smashed into them.

The couple, Joseph R. Lyons, 83, and his wife, Gloria J. Lyons, 80, each sustained catastrophic injuries in the crash, which happened at 5:40 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2019, as they drove along River Road in Jenkins Township, according to a Feb. 27 story by the (Wilkes-Barre) Citizen’s Voice newspaper. Both victims, who lived in Forty Fort Borough in Luzerne County in northeastern Pennsylvania, were pronounced dead a short time later at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

The Lyons’ car was struck head-on by a car being driven by Zabrina M. Burge, 27, of Wyoming, after it crossed the road’s centerline, the story reported. The lawsuit filed on behalf of the Lyons’ estate alleged that Burge was speeding 10 mph over the post 45 mph speed limit and had a blood-alcohol content of .30% — nearly four times the legal limit — at the time of the crash, but no charges have yet been filed in the case, according to the story. An investigation into the crash is ongoing by the Luzerne County District Attorney’s office.

The force of the crash impact of the two cars fractured Joseph Lyons’s ribs and pelvis, and inflicted a head injury, the story reported, while Mrs. Lyons was “flung from the vehicle to the roadway and apparently dragged under the vehicle to its resting point,” according to the family’s lawsuit.

Until their deaths in the crash, the couple had remained active and independent, the story reported. The couple is survived by two grown children and several grandchildren.

Legal cases like this one occur around the nation every day and are examples of similar kinds of car crash cases that MyPhillyLawyer attorneys regularly work on tirelessly for our own clients. Often, we are not able to discuss the cases we are actively working on due to confidentiality requirements, so we discuss other relevant cases in the news such as this one to illustrate the legal situations people find themselves in every day.

When you need a car accident injury attorney, we here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in any kind of car crash, slip and fall, pedestrian injury, workplace injury or wrongful death in Philadelphia or anywhere in the United States. We pledge to make sure that you and your family get the compassionate, dogged and experienced legal representation that you deserve and expect from a professional legal team which works hard to uncover every fact to bolster your case and maximize your damage award.

We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Talk to a Philadelphia car crash attorney at MyPhillyLawyer by calling 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-866-907-2231 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

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