For years, I-10 in Pinal County has ranked as one of the most dangerous highways stretches in America, due to numerous fatal crashes on I-10. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is responsible for I-10’s safety in Arizona. ADOT, part of our state’s executive branch, wasn’t doing anything about this significant and deadly problem.

Between 2001 and 2010, there was 75 crossover crashes on I-10 in near Picacho Peak.

 

Seventeen (17) were head-on “crossover” crashes:

MP                       Date
217.9                   February 17, 2001
215                      September 29, 2002
220.6                   October 18, 2002
215.4                   October 1, 2003
210.3                   January 3, 2004
202.5                   February 25, 2004
202.4                   April 3, 2004
217.2                   October 6, 2005
214.3                   May 6, 2006
202.5                   May 12, 2006
220.5                   June 7, 2006
206                      October 15, 2006
216.8                   Christmas Day, 2006
202.1                   July 9, 2007
214.5                    April 29, 2008
214                      June 10, 2009
215.9                   August 30, 2010

On September 8, 2011, four (4) members of Sean Reynolds’ family died in a horrific crossover crash at milepost 211 on I-10. Sean was a member of the U.S. Navy, and his family was on the way to visit him in San Diego. Their vehicle burst into flames from the crash impact.

The Leader Law Firm spearheaded the Reynolds lawsuit against ADOT and learned of all the prior accidents listed above. The case settled out of court.

In February 2012, the Leader Law Firm obtained a $7.8 million jury verdict against ADOT. In that case, a father and his 6-year old daughter died at milepost 171 of I-10 (just west of Casa Grande).

The jury found that ADOT negligently failed to provide a median barrier to prevent crossover crashes.

On March 29, 2014, five (5) members of the Blackmore family died in a catastrophic crossover crash at milepost 213, again near Picacho Peak.

The Leader Law Firm led the Blackmore lawsuit against ADOT, which involved the same extensive history of crashes, near Picacho Peak. That case also settled out of court. This stretch of I-10 near Picacho Peak is exceptionally hazardous because it’s only two lanes and contains dangerous curves.

In December 2015, a jury returned a jury verdict of $47 million for five (5) surviving family members of two women killed in another crossover crash at MP 171 (west of Casa Grande).

ADOT has announced that a four-mile area of I-10 near Picacho Peak (between Casa Grande and Tucson) will be widened to 3 lanes. At this time, ADOT says they have no plans to widen the stretch of I-10 from Casa Grande to Chandler. This section is an ADOT designated “Safety Corridor“.

The Leader Law Firm is confident that the Reynolds and Blackmore cases, along with the two other I-10 jury verdicts, led to this change. The judicial system forced changes from the executive branch (ADOT).

Our legal system isn’t perfect, but it does work. The Leader Law Firm is proud to be at the forefront of this issue, helping to make changes to save lives.

It’s tragic that so many crashes had to occur and so many people had to die before the change occurred.