SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash — The Spokane Valley City Council agreed Tuesday night to pay $3 million dollars to settle a lawsuit over the death of an 18-year-old back in 2022.
The city says Bryce Adame was a passenger in a car that crashed at the 16th Avenue and Bowdish intersection. At the time, the intersection was a four-way stop. The city says the driver sped past the stop sign before leaving the road and crashing.
While the city has agreed to a settlement, it does not admit any liability for the accident or Adame’s death. It also says it has a strong defense, the city thought it was in the taxpayers’ best interest to settle the case based on state law.
According to the city, a party found even minimally at fault can be held responsible for the full amount of damages if other parties are unable to pay.
“Washington’s joint and several liability statutes create an inequitable system that unfairly burdens local governments and the taxpayers who fund them,” said City Attorney Kelly Konkright. “Reform is needed to ensure liability is proportionate to actual responsibility and to protect the public’s resources from excessive exposure.”
The city says the settlement will be covered by Washington City’s Insurance Authority.
Over the last few years, the city has been making safety improvements to that intersection. That includes building a roundabout and expanding sidewalks in the hope drivers will slow down.
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