The parents of the man killed in a drunk driving accident caused by polo tycoon John Goodman will receive a total of $46 million in settlement monies. The parents, Lili and William Wilson, were allotted $23 million each, or the same number as the age of their son when he died. Goodman agreed to the settlement in the civil suit brought against him despite having previously adopted his girlfriend in an attempt to shield his assets. Goodman was found guilty of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in the killing of Scott Wilson in 2010. He was due to be sentenced on April 30th, but the sentencing was rescheduled to May 11th following complications where a juror went told the judge he did not believe Goodman was guilty. If the jury verdict is upheld, Goodman may face up to 30 years behind bars on the 11th.
Jurors in the case concluded that Goodman’s testimony about what happened after the crash was simply not believable. Goodman had claimed that he was not drunk at the time of the accident, but only achieved his .177 blood alcohol level by drinking after the crash. The story of the “man cave” where Goodman allegedly found alcohol to help with injuries from the accident was believed to be unsubstantiated. The jurors also took into account the fact that Goodman’s car must have hit Wilson’s with substantial force in order for it to cause the damage it did and propel Wilson’s car into the canal. The jurors concluded that he ran a stop sign near the crash and thus had been drinking previously, as is reflected in Goodman’s being charged with DUI.
The Wilsons spoke about the settlement through their attorneys after the verdict. They said that the settlement money came almost entirely from insurance companies and not from Goodman’s fortune at all. The attorneys also expressed frustration that Goodman’s attorney disclosed what were supposed to be confidential details about the case and settlement. Goodman’s attorney countered that there was no legality stopping him from disclosing details.
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