Coby L. Wooten represented Joshua woman who survived 3,000-foot fall
A judge recently awarded a Joshua, Texas woman who survived a 3,000-foot skydiving fall $760,000, a verdict praised by Fort Worth personal injury lawyer Coby L. Wooten, who helped represent the injured skydiver.
“Justice has prevailed,” Wooten said. “Makenzie Wethington suffered serious injuries due to the negligent actions of the skydiving company that offered this service. Even three years after the incident, Makenzie continues to have health issues since her parachute malfunctioned at 3,000 feet in the sky. Thankfully, the judge made the right decision.”
Wethington, now 19, sustained serious injuries when her parachute malfunctioned on Jan. 25, 2014 in Chickasha, Oklahoma, according to a Fort-Worth Star Telegram article about the verdict published April 17.
Wethington sustained injuries to her liver and broke several bones, including her pelvis, lumbar spine, several ribs and a shoulder blade. Wethington’s parachute did not open automatically as it was supposed to when she exited the airplane.
Wethington and her father went parachuting at Pegasus Air Sports Center in Oklahoma. In Wethington’s lawsuit, the skydiving company was accused of failing to provide adequate training and for negligently allowing Wethington to use equipment “inappropriate for her skill level.”
U.S. District Court Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti agreed, ruling that the company “owes a duty of care” to people who could be harmed while skydiving.