Samsel v. Wheeler Transport Services, Inc.
Kansas Supreme Court
789 P.2d 541 (1990)
- Written by Craig Conway, LLM
Facts
Douglas Samsel (plaintiff) was severely injured when a vehicle, which was driven by Don Hilgenfeld (defendant) and owned by Wheeler Transport Services, Inc. (Wheeler) (defendant), crossed the center line on a roadway and collided with Samsel’s vehicle. Samsel was rendered a quadriplegic because of the crash. Samsel, a resident of Kansas, filed suit in federal district court, based on diversity of citizenship, against Hilgenfeld, a resident of Nebraska; Wheeler, a company with a principal place of business in Nebraska; and Great West Casualty Company, a business organized under Nebraska law. The district court certified a question to the Supreme Court of Kansas, namely whether a Kansas law that capped pain and suffering or other noneconomic damages in a personal injury action at $250,000 violated the Kansas Constitution.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Lockett, J.)
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