Following a five-week trial, a Providence jury found Twin River Casino, a Providence liquor store, and a teenage drunk driver liable in a dram shop case where the plaintiff, Alissa Moulton, sustained serious spinal injuries following an April 24, 2010 motor vehicle accident. Specifically, Moulton was paralyzed from the chest down when she and her friend, Cristina Sianpi, were ejected from the back seat of a 1997 Toyota Camry. The car’s driver, 18 year-old defendant Alexander Arango, was Moulton's boyfriend and the father of their child. According to reports, Arango lost control of the Camry, which struck a median barrier, crossed the two right lanes of the highway, rolled over, and collided—rear end first—with a tree on the highway’s grass shoulder.
Although historically known as “conservative” in terms of verdict awards, it took this particular jury less than two days of deliberation before awarding Moulton $23 million in damages, plus interest. Additionally, the jury assigned 70 percent responsibility to the underage driver, 20 percent to Twin River Casino, and 10 percent to Royal Liquors, a Providence liquor store that allegedly sold alcohol to Arango. Under Rhode Island law, each defendant is jointly and severally liable for the entire amount of damages regardless of the percentage of responsibility. (R.I.G.L. § 10-6-2.) The defendants against whom a money judgment is entered are also, however, entitled to a set-off in the amount of either: (1) the total amount paid by each settled defendant; or (2) the percentage of fault assigned to each of those settled defendants by the trier of fact, whichever is greater. (R.I.G.L. § 10-6-7.)
At trial, Moulton, who is now confined to a wheelchair, was represented by Providence personal injury firm of Mandell Schwartz & Boisclair. Her lawyers argued before Judge William E. Carnes, Jr., that Twin River was negligent in serving alcohol to a visibly intoxicated Arango, and that Twin River violated the Rhode Island Liquor Liability Act (R.I.G.L § 3-14-1 et. seq.) by negligently serving the underage driver.
For his part, Arango, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty in June 2010 to two counts of driving to endanger resulting in serious bodily injury, and one count of driving under the influence.
A spokesperson for Twin River has suggested that the casino may seek to appeal the decision, as it is “inconsistent” with evidence put on by the defense.
About the Authors
Kenneth R. Costa is a partner with Manion Gaynor & Manning. He is a member of the multi-state Products Liability Litigation Team, with a primary focus in insurance defense, products liability, asbestos-related and toxic torts cases in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Matthew Giardina is an associate in Manion Gaynor & Manning’s Providence office, and a member of the firm’s Products Liability and Complex Tort Litigation Group. He focuses his practice in the areas of products liability defense, mass torts, and other complex tort litigation.