Going Whole Hogg $8.6 Million Verdict in Wild Pig Accident

A  jury recently awarded $8.6 Million to a Monterey County motorcyclist who was severely injured after striking a wild pig.  The jury found that State highway officials were responsible for the Plaintiff’s injuries.  They ruled that the officials ignored evidence that a stretch of highway was dangerous because wild pigs were crossing it and the State failed to take appropriate action to resolve the danger.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the man was confined to a wheelchair.

If you’ve been wondering how our California State has gotten info this budget crisis, look no further than some of these jury payouts.  Let’s assume the complaint is valid and the State neglected to do anything about the danger, such as posting wild pig crossing signs, or limiting the speed limit in the area to allow a speeding cyclist to avoid a fleeing pig.   Even if the State is correctly at fault, is it really worth 8.6 Million?  How could the victim incur this much damage from the accident, or was some of it punitive?  If so, why so much?  How about forcing the state to spend 8.6 million on improving the highway conditions? 

And finally, we wonder about the fate of the poor wild pig.   This was San Francisco; wasn’t anybody standing up for the rights of the pig?  Where did he end up? Into the meat grinders at Buena Vista Restaurant?

wild pig accident
Monterey County
San Francisco