$26M Settlement to Missionary Worker Left Paralyzed in Crash

By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on July 31st, 2015

A 27-year-old missionary student who was paralyzed in a 2009 vehicle rollover crash has been awarded a $26 million court settlement in Montana.

The victim, Jeremy Vangsnes, was on a 10-week mission trip assignment in Yellowstone National Park on July 21, 2009, when a Jeep Cherokee he was riding in drifted off Interstate 90, drove into the median and rolled several times, leaving him with critical injuries, according to a July 16 story in The Baptist News.

Vangsnes, who had been an All-American collegiate distance runner before the incident, suffered severe brain injuries and was left a quadriplegic from the crash, the story said. He was traveling in the Jeep with two of his brothers and the driver of the vehicle, Scott Minear, as they headed back from a trip to Glacier National Park. All four were hurt in the crash.

Vangsnes’ family sued the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board (NAMB) in connection with the crash, according to the story. The group organized the mission trip.

A Montana state District Judge, Mike Salvagni of Gallatin County, ruled that the Jeep’s driver “was acting within the course and scope of his NAMB assignment when the wreck occurred,” according to the story. The settlement is being paid by insurers for the NAMB.

These kinds of tragic legal cases occur every day when innocent victims are severely hurt or killed in vehicle crashes through no fault of their own due to the actions, inattentiveness or indifference of others. That’s why it is critical to have a legal team on your side that uncovers every fact to bolster your case and maximize your damage award.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in a vehicle incident or accident anywhere in the United States. We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-(866) 352-4572 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

When Winning Matters Most, Call MyPhillyLawyer.