Jury awards $30M to man paralyzed in I-405 crash

A King County jury has awarded $30 million to a man who was left paralyzed after his car was struck by a pickup on an Interstate 405 onramp.

Koti Hu sued the owner of the truck as well as the state Department of Transportation (DOT) over the design of the onramp after the July 28, 2007, crash. His father said on Tuesday that the jury award will pay for a lifetime of care.

"He's still in a lot of pain. He's paralyzed from the chest down," said Yalung Hu.

Since the crash, Koti Hu, 30, has moved home to be cared for by his parents, his father said.

Hu's vehicle was rear-ended by a private painting truck while waiting at the metering light at theNortheast 70th street onramp to northbound I-405, according to KING-TV.

Yalung Hu said that his son's legal team argued that the design of the onramp was flawed, leading to the accident. "The evidence was just very strong," Yalung Hu said.

Michael McKinstry, Hu's lawyer, told KING-TV the suit focused on the poor design of the metered onramp. The stop line is in shadows and is visible to drivers only after coming around a 180-degree curve, KING reported.

The jury found the company that owns the truck was 60 percent responsible for the accident, with the DOT responsible for the remaining $12 million, KING reported.

DOT spokesman Steve Pierce said that an appeal is likely.

"It was an unfortunate incident," Pierce said. "With all due respect to the jury, we strongly object to the finding."

Since the crash, Koti Hu started a website to document "my life as I grapple, struggle, succeed and fail in my life and journey." On the site he explains that he was struck by a pickup traveling at 60 mph while he was "at a standstill."

"My neck was broken by severe whiplash in the force of the collision, and my spinal cord badly damaged," the website said.

Before the crash, Hu lived on his own and was a musician who played guitar, violin and other instruments. He regularly performed with his family's church, his father said.

"Now, I live my life in a wheelchair, I can't use my fingers, and I can't walk," Hu's website said. Hu said on the site that he has recently returned to college and still works closely with his church.

Seattle Times news researcher Gene Balk contributed to this report.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com