$162 Million Settlement Over the 2021 I-85 Van Rollover and Fire

On the morning of April 24, 2021, a 2002 Dodge Ram passenger van was traveling on Interstate 85 near the Interstate 985 split in Gwinnett County, Georgia. A vehicle ahead of it changed lanes. The van went out of control, rolled onto its side, slid across two lanes, and burst into flames.

Inside were residents of a sober living home called We Are Living Proof, headed to a recovery meeting in Buford where some of the women were set to be recognized that day. Six of them died at the scene. A seventh, hospitalized with severe burns, died about two weeks later. Nine other people in the van survived, many with lasting injuries. The driver was a housemate from the same recovery program. It became known as one of the deadliest crashes in Georgia history.

Families of the women who died and several of the survivors brought suit. Their lawyers argued that the van itself was the danger: a design prone to rolling over, a steering system they called defective, and a fuel system that let gasoline and vapor ignite after the crash. The complaints also faulted poor upkeep of the aging van, including its tires. Defendants included the van's manufacturer, the company that ran the home, the auto service chain Pep Boys, a Lawrenceville tire shop, and the woman who had been driving.

Sixteen plaintiffs were represented by a group of about a dozen firms working together. Beasley Allen and Shiver Hamilton Campbell served as co-lead counsel. John Foy & Associates was one of the co-counsel firms, representing crash victims alongside Bader Scott, Butler Kahn, Morgan & Morgan, and others. The combined teams handled product testing, crash reconstruction, and the burn and wrongful death claims of clients spread across the state.

The case resolved in June 2024 for $162 million, paid across the sixteen plaintiffs. Attorneys on the case described it as the largest settlement in Georgia history arising from a single automobile crash. The agreements were confidential, and the lawyers declined to say which defendants paid what, citing the terms of the deal. Because the matter settled before trial, there was no jury verdict and nothing to appeal.