Almost two years after losing their daughter in a fatal car crash, the parents of UF student Abigail Dougherty received a combined $25 million in damages.
The jury awarded Pat Dougherty and Anita Forester $12.5 million each after deciding the garbage truck driver who hit their daughter was negligent, according to Alachua County court records.
Six days before her 21st birthday, on Oct. 28, 2016, Dougherty was killed after being struck by the truck while riding her bike north of campus, crossing West University Avenue.
Late Friday evening, the jury determined that Charles Danzy, the driver, contributed to the crash, causing her death. The WCA Waste Corporation, a garbage collection service company and Danzy’s employer, is responsible for paying damages to Dougherty’s parents, according to court records.
The jury determined WCA was mostly responsible for causing the crash, while Dougherty only was partially responsible, according to the verdict.
A close-up of the plaque that was made in honor of Abigail Dougherty. The plaque rests below the southern magnolia treeplanted for Dougherty on Thursday.
