By Staff Reporter |
A Pennsylvania jury has awarded $3 million in punitive damages against Avis Rent-A-Car after determining the company rented a vehicle to a man whose driver’s license had been suspended. The ruling comes from a civil case tried in Allegheny County and represents a major victory for the legal team at Victim Recovery Law Center of Newtown Square.
Attorneys David Thiruselvam and Keith West, serving as lead counsel for the estate of Rhonda Everson, successfully argued that Avis’s failure to verify the driver’s license status constituted negligent entrustment—a rarely tested legal theory in rental car litigation.
The jury found driver Taariq Tyler 65% responsible for the fatal crash and assigned 35% liability to Avis. In addition to punitive damages, jurors awarded $762,000 in compensatory damages to the estate.
Groundbreaking Application of Negligent Entrustment Law
West and Thiruselvam’s team demonstrated that Avis had constructive notice of the risk of renting to unlicensed drivers and failed to adopt available safeguards to prevent it. Under Pennsylvania law, vehicle owners cannot entrust cars to drivers they know—or should know—are unlicensed. The jury agreed that Avis’s conduct violated this duty.
“This verdict sends a clear message that companies can’t turn a blind eye to public safety,” said Keith West of Victim Recovery Law Center. “Our team worked to hold a major corporation accountable for a systemic failure that cost a woman her life.”
Co-counsel David Thiruselvam added that the ruling could set an important precedent for similar cases nationwide. “For too long, rental companies have ignored the warning signs. This case shows that juries will demand accountability when policies put people at risk.”
Industry Practices Under the Microscope
During the trial, the plaintiffs introduced expert testimony showing that the car rental industry has long been aware of the increased risk of accidents involving suspended or unlicensed drivers. Studies presented to the jury indicated that failure to verify driver credentials can result in a 40% higher accident rate.
Despite this knowledge, the attorneys argued, Avis failed to implement systems capable of detecting invalid licenses before renting vehicles. Jurors found that this lack of oversight warranted punitive damages to deter future misconduct.
Avis Denies Wrongdoing
Defense counsel for Avis maintained that the company’s employees routinely check all renters’ driver’s licenses, but no documentation or specific recollection of the transaction involving Tyler was produced at trial. The jury ultimately concluded that Avis’s procedures were inadequate and that the company’s actions constituted reckless disregard for safety.
Broader Implications for Public Safety
The verdict highlights the growing expectation that large companies adopt modern verification systems and uphold strict compliance standards. Legal observers say this case may serve as a blueprint for future litigation involving rental car liability and corporate responsibility in screening drivers.
Attorneys West and Thiruselvam expressed gratitude to the Everson family for their persistence in pursuing justice. “Our mission at Victim Recovery Law Center is to give victims a voice and ensure their suffering leads to meaningful change,” West said.