A U.S. District Court judge has approved a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit of Hendrick Motorsports general manager Jeff Turner stemming from the Oct. 24, 2004, plane accident that killed 10 people on the way to the race in Martinsville, Va. Attorneys for widow Linda Turner, the pilots and Hendrick informed the court about six weeks ago that they had agreed to a settlement, and the court approved the settlement Thursday. The terms of the settlement are confidential. The settlement provides for an equal distribution of settlement proceeds among Linda and her three children, according to a filing with the court. Turner also has sued the U.S. government over the actions of the air-traffic controllers. That suit is still pending, as are two other suits from widows Dianne Dorton and Tracy Lathram against Hendrick Motorsports. In those cases, Hendrick Motorsports has filed a third-party claim against the U.S. government and the actions of the air-traffic controllers. The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that pilot error was the primary cause of the accident.(SceneDaily.com)(3-2-2007)
