 Amount: $18.3 million To: Dax Pierson, founder and keyboardist for the Bay Area rap group Subtle, who was paralyzed in a car accident. Plaintiff’s Lawyers: Kevin Quinn of Thorsnes Bartolotta in San Diego; Daniel Dell’Osso and Tom Brandi of the Brandi Law Firm in San Francisco. Defense Lawyers: Amir Nassihi of Shook Hardy in San Francisco The Accident: In February 2005, Subtle was on tour, driving through Iowa when its van, a 15-seat Ford E-350 Econoline, hit a patch of black ice. The van flipped 2 ½ times. Pierson was wearing a seat belt, but the seat broke loose from the floor, slamming his head into the roof, which fractured his spine and left him paralyzed. The others in the van suffered minor injuries. The Case: Pierson sued Ford in San Francisco for negligence and faulty design. Ford blamed the van’s driver for traveling at excessive speed. After a two-week trial, a jury found Ford 100 percent at fault and awarded Pierson $12.3 million for his medical expenses and $6 million for his pain and suffering. The rental company that leased the van to the group settled previously for $5 million. Need to Know: Pierson, 38, suffered complete loss of the ability to use his arms and legs but still contributes music through the computer program Ableton Live. He worked on the group’s last album, ExitingARM. At the time of the accident, Subtle had recorded four albums and was becoming widely known. The band had been written about in Rolling Stone and was scheduled to tour the U.S. and Europe. Page: 1 of 1 pages for this article
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