re: Drinkin and drivin

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None of that matters. UGA is not responsible just because they rented the car.

I used to travel frequently for business. I had a company card that paid for it all. Airfare. Rental Cars. Lodging. Per Diem for meals. Incidentals. If I got loaded at a bar on one of my business trips, and drove my rental car drunk at high speeds and killed other people, including myself, is my employer responsible for the damages?

No, the answer is No.

This is ambulance chasing shitfrick lawyer bullshite.

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All this doesn't matter if this goes to a jury trial. You have a cute young girl who was hurt while a passenger in a car driven by someone whose BAC was over .1 and driving nearly 100 mph on a part of Barnett Shoals Road that is difficult to navigate sober and in the daylight.

Beyond all the negative things that could come out in court depositions and discovery, how do you see this playing out to a jury of Clarke County residents? It'll either be a majority of low income people or liberal women. Whether UGA is liable or not, all they'll see is a girl who was seriously injured and the big bad University isn't helping her. It's more costly and has more possibility for embarrassing things to come up. Going to court never ends well. Never do it if you can find an alternative.

Furthermore, are we led to believe that UGA does not provide health insurance benefits, and disability benefits to their employees, that would actually cover all these supposed damages? These $160k in medical bills might be already covered by insurance in which case there aren't even any actual damages to sue over. There's a lot of problems with this civil case. It's basically extortion. Pay me or I will leak a bunch of text messages that might embarrass your university. Don't think UGA legal isn't preparing a possible counter suit and possible federal action on this.

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The text messages are already public record under GA's open records law. There is nothing to leak. Anyone can get them by filing a request.

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They may have more that aren't a matter of public record. Burner phones and the like.

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I worked for the UGA turf program for 7 years (06-13) and drove their trucks all over the state and I don’t think I ever took any course on the rules of driving a state vehicle.

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Your supervisor flubbed up then as it was (and is) required for anyone driving a state vehicle.

Does a rented suburban count as a state vehicle, or is it only owned by the state fleets?

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was it a PowerPoint presentation?

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video presentation

Oh so like when you rent an RV and sign the paper that says you saw the safety video in the lobby.

And what about any of this is germane to the litigation ?

If only Lecroy had watched the video, she never would have gotten shitfaced at Toppers with her boyfriend and drove drunk to the waffle house. If only she'd seen the video!

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I would counter that if the state rented it, it's a Hertz vehicle rented by the state.

But lets say it does fall under the definition of "state owned" through some previous court decision or obscure code. What difference does it make?

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The state rented it, who has the title is irrelevant.

If you are making payments on a car, you own it even though the lender has the title. If you rent a vehicle, it is under your legal control for the duration of the rental agreement. You don't get to just walk away from a wreck by saying, "It belongs to the rental company.".

Again, whether or not the driver is/was performing official duties is much more of an issue than the ownership of the vehicle.

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"but it was a UGA rented vehicle" is somehow relevant.

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It's quite relevant, but it's not the most pressing issue.