Texas Family Awarded $32 Million after Fatal Domino’s Delivery Accident

A family from Beaumont, Texas has been awarded $32 million after Domino’s Pizza was found liable in an accident caused by one of their delivery drivers.

About the Domino’s Pizza Delivery Accident

• According to NBC, the accident occurred last August in Beaumont, Texas, about 90 miles Northeast of Houston.
• Domino’s Pizza delivery driver, Joshua Balka, lost control of his car colliding with a vehicle carrying Ruth Christopher, 65, and her husband Devavaram Christopher, 70.
• Mrs. Christopher died in the hospital the next day, and Mr. Christopher suffered a permanent traumatic brain injury leaving him unable to communicate.
• Mr. Balka received a citation for speeding.

Jury Finds Domino’s Pizza Partially Liable for the Accident

“We also learned that Domino’s enforces a tragically unsafe delivery method by providing bonuses and other incentives for fast delivery.” – Chip Ferguson, the family’s attorney, as published by NBC

• An investigation determined that the cause of the accident was due to Mr. Balka’s speeding in correlation to defective and worn tires.
• One of Mr. Balka’s tires was so worn that the tire did not have any tread.
• The jury determined that Domino’s Pizza was 60 percent responsible for the accident as the company did not enforce its policy that drivers’ vehicles be inspected.
• As a result, the family of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher were awarded $32 million.
• Domino’s Pizza plans to appeal the decision stating that the employee did not work for their company, but an independent franchise. They further claimed that a franchisor is not responsible for the actions of a franchisee to such a “minute level of detail” of day-to-day operations.

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