JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The parents of a 21-year-old woman killed in a DUI crash have been awarded an additional $2.5 million in punitive damages, just days after receiving a $10.3 million compensatory verdict.
MORE | Jury awards $10.3 million to parents of Jacksonville DUI crash victim
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Nell Behr tragically lost her life in a head-on crash on I-295 near Monument Road in January 2023.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the driver, Ramon Cerda, was traveling on the wrong side of the highway after leaving a Jacksonville bar. Investigators determined that Cerda had a blood alcohol level of .128 at the time of the crash, significantly above the legal limit.
Just 10 days before her death, Behr had graduated from Florida State College at Jacksonville.
In early 2024, Cerda pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and reckless driving, receiving a sentence of 12 years in prison.
Last week, a jury awarded $10 million to Behr’s parents, along with $300,000 for medical and funeral expenses. In a separate civil trial that concluded this week, jurors awarded an additional $2,500,001 in punitive damages.
According to attorneys Aaron Davis of Davis Goldman, PLLC, and Tom Scolaro of Scolaro Law, the seemingly symbolic extra dollar was a response to the defendant’s claim that he should only be required to pay $1.
