The Connecticut Supreme Court has agreed to determine whether the sovereign immunity of the Mohegan Tribe extends to a casino employee.
William Clarke was a limousine driver at the Mohegan Sun. He is accused of negligence for an October 2011 accident involving another vehicle.
The occupants of the vehicle that was struck by the limo missed a one-year statue of limitations in tribal court. So they sued Clarke and the tribe in state court.
But Brian and Michelle Lewis dropped the tribe from the suit out of fear they would lose an immunity claim. However, Clarke remains as a defendant after losing a motion to dismiss last September.
Clarke appealed the decision to the Connecticut appellate court. The Connecticut Supreme Court, however, decided in March to take on the case itself. The case is still in the briefing stage.
The attorney who represents the couple also represented the passengers in Clarke's limo. One who suffered serious damage settled with the tribe for $775,000 while three others received a total of about $50,000. All four sued in tribal court within the statute of limitations.
The case is Lewis v. Clark, No. 19464.
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State's highest court considering whether claim against Mohegan limo driver can proceed
(The New London Day 6/23)
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