A seven-figure settlement has been approved for one of the victims of the deadly accident at the Ohio State Fair.
One of the six gondolas on the Fire Ball at the Ohio State Fair broke loose, killing 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell, and injuring seven others on July 26, 2017. Four of those seven victims suffered critical injuries: Keziah Lewis, 22, Jennifer Lambert, 18, Tamika Dunlap, 36, and Russell Franks, 42.
In court records obtained by 10TV they are referred to as the "catastrophic victims."
Tuesday, a Licking County Probate judge approved a partial settlement to compensate Lambert.
Settlement documents say "Jennifer has not been home since the date of the accident. She was first treated (at the hospital) for a traumatic brain injury."
Lambert currently is at "an intermediate care facility," where she "seems to be progressing," but "it is unknown whether she will ever be self-supporting."
So far, the filing says, her medical expenses total more than $455,000.
The attorneys for the five catastrophic victims say they have been in coordinated settlement talks with three parties related to the Fire Ball ride: Its operator, Amusements of America, and "two companies that had previously inspected the Fire Ball,” identified as Comspeq and Soil Consultants.
"Jennifer's claims were settled for a total of $1,769,703.40," the filing says.
Minus attorneys’ fees of $589,901.14 and other expenses, Lambert will net $1,103,953.31.
Half of that will go into a trust, the other half to purchase an annuity that will pay her "$1,267 per month for the rest of her life."
This settlement would not the end of potential litigation.
The filing says the five catastrophic victims "are still considering claims against the designer, manufacturer and supplier of the Fire Ball."
Previous Coverage
- State declines to fine, sanction ride operating company after fair tragedy
- $1.27 million settlement proposed for family of teen killed at Ohio State Fair
- Mother of teen killed in Ohio State Fair accident breaks silence
- New photos show detached gondola, severed ride arm in aftermath of State Fair accident
