Venus Williams reaches a settlement with family of 78-year-old passenger who was killed when the tennis ace was T-boned by driver who then sued her for causing her husband’s ‘wrongful death’
- TMZ reports that 78-year-old Jerome Barson’s estate and the tennis pro reached an agreement for an undisclosed amount in the wrongful death lawsuit last week
- Video footage captured the grisly accident in Palm Beach on June 9, 2017
- Police had initially said Williams was to blame for the crash because she failed to yield the right-of-way but later determined both drivers had the right of way
- The Barson filed a wrongful death suit seeking unspecified damages for loss of companionship, loss of earnings, pain and suffering, medical and funeral costs
Venus Williams has reached a settlement with the family of a man killed in a Florida car crash she was involved in last year.
TMZ reports that 78-year-old Jerome Barson’s estate and the tennis pro reached an agreement for an undisclosed amount in the wrongful death lawsuit last week.
Video footage captured the grisly accident near Williams’ home in Palm Beach on June 9, 2017.
Barson’s wife was driving a sedan that T-boned with Williams’ SUV after the 37-year-old was forced to stop in an intersection.
Barson died 13 days after the crash, but neither driver was charged as police determined both had the right of way.
Venus Williams has reached a settlement with the family of a man killed in a Florida car crash she was involved in last year
Jerome Barson (left) died after the sedan his wife Linda (right) was driving T-boned Venus Williams’ SUV in an intersection near the tennis pro’s home in Palm Beach on June 9, 2017
Police had initially said Williams was to blame for the crash because she failed to yield the right-of-way.
At the time, Williams told police she was trying to get across the junction but traffic was backed up and she had to slow down to a crawl, leaving her stranded in the middle of the junction as the light turned green in Barson’s direction.
The late Jerome Barson was initially hospitalized for serious head injuries after the crash. His wife Linda was taken to hospital with injuries including a cracked sternum and multiple broken bones.
Photos from the crash scene show the Barsons’ vehicle crashed on the side of the road, with the front of the 2016 Hyundai Accent completely crumpled in on itself.
The airbags appear to have deployed in the front, and the back windows are shattered.
The Barson family’s wrongful death suit filed less than a month after the crash sought unspecified damages for loss of companionship for both Linda Barson and their family, loss of earnings, pain and suffering, and medical and funeral expenses.
Both parties reportedly paid their own attorneys’ fees.
Williams told police she was trying to get across the junction but traffic was backed up and she had to slow down to a crawl, leaving her stranded in the middle of the junction
Linda Barson was driving with her husband in the passenger’s seat when the crash happened