Victim Wins a Record Suit Over Road Design

A 24-year-old paraplegic won on Friday what is believed to be the largest settlement of a civil suit for improper road design in California history.

Riverside County agreed to pay $2 million in cash and $100,000 annually plus other payments to Kevin Drozd of Los Angeles, who was partially paralyzed Oct. 12, 1982, when his late-model car plunged over an embankment at an unmarked curve on Skyline Drive near Corona.

Drozd’s attorney, Thomas V. Girardi, said the structured settlement could amount to at least $18.36 million over 40 years and is believed to have established a California record for such cases by several million dollars.

The case was settled before Riverside Superior Court Judge John H. Hews moments before a jury trial was scheduled to begin.

County officials had claimed that Drozd caused his own accident by driving along the dirt road at about 25 m.p.h.

But Girardi contended that the unmarked curve caused the accident and said there was “a whole used car lot” (five other wrecked automobiles) rusting at the foot of the embankment. He claimed that the curve should have been marked by reflectors and a guard rail.

Drozd was visiting friends in Riverside County when the accident occurred. A passenger in his car was not injured and was not involved in the litigation.

A student at the time of his injuries, Drozd has incurred $100,000 worth of medical expenses.