Jury awards $38.8M to family in Republic Services wrongful death trial

A Las Vegas assemblage awarded $38.8 cardinal connected Tuesday to the household of an 11-year-old miss who was killed by a Republic Services garbage truck.

Jurors began deliberations Monday morning, and by 11:30 a.m., the verdict was work earlier District Judge Jacqueline Bluth.

The two-week wrongful decease trial centered connected Jazmin Espana, who was struck and killed successful 2017.

Throughout the trial, lawyer Sean Claggett asked jurors to grant Jazmin’s parent $65 cardinal successful damages.

The driver, Julio Cortez-Solano, received respective write-ups successful the years earlier the fatality. He was fired and rehired.

Republic Services lawyer David Barron argued that the institution was proactive successful its grooming and conducted a thorough investigation.

A detective astatine the country testified that the garbage motortruck was already successful the crosswalk erstwhile Jazmin started walking.

Barron denied that his clients were liable but told the assemblage that if they were recovered negligent, $10.25 million, positive ceremonial expenses, would suffice.

The collision happened aft schoolhouse connected Feb. 8, 2017, erstwhile Jazmin and her person Samantha Lopez walked to the intersection of South Sandhill and East Viking roads.

According to grounds during the trial, the garbage motortruck pulled up adjacent to the girls, and Cortez-Solano and Darryl Bryant, his co-worker and passenger, smiled astatine them.

The locomotion awesome indicated that the girls could transverse the street, and Jazmin started to cross, looking backmost erstwhile to inquire Samantha if she was coming.

Seconds later, the truck, which had turned right, deed Jazmin and knocked her to the ground. Video surveillance shows that it ne'er afloat stopped astatine the intersection.

At times during the trial, Cortez-Solano appeared affectional connected the stand. Through a Spanish interpreter, he apologized.

“My beingness has ne'er been the same, and it ne'er volition be,” helium told jurors.

He said helium was definite the girls were inactive lasting connected the sidewalk erstwhile helium made the turn.

Jazmin’s mother, Encarnacion Espana, testified during the proceedings that her youngest girl was an intelligent miss who aspired to beryllium a teacher.

Every night, she would work her parent a book.

“They told maine the miss mislaid her life. They pulled my bosom retired of maine with that,” Espana said done a Spanish interpreter. “The lone happening I person present are our memories to support going.”

This is simply a processing story. Check backmost for updates.

Contact Briana Erickson astatine berickson@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE connected Twitter.