Reports this week specify how a jury at Texas has given the order for Charter Communications to reimburse as correctional damages in an amount of $7 billion. The company is to pay it to the family of the woman, aged 83 at the time, who a cable repairman killed and robbed when he came to her in a company vehicle when he was not on work.
The company, which holds the ownership of Spectrum was also held accountable in June for an amount of $337.5 million in form of damages as compensatory. This was for the murder of 83 year old Betty Jo McClain Thomas in the month of December in 2019Â Such a murder case like that of the grandmother hardly ever go to trial, generally aiming for a settlement out of court. Additionally, they are kept away from the public’s view, where the firm normally does not admit to the crime, be it rape, murder or assault.
Rich Ruggiero, spokesperson from the cable company provided a written statement regarding the development. Charter Communications stated how it would appeal the verdict that Texan law and the evidence shown at trial plainly indicate how this crime was not exactly ‘foreseeable.’ Further, it said how the claims presented by the plaintiffs of the crime by the company were strategical untrue.
The statement from the employee
The employee, Roy James Holden reportedly pleaded guilty to the woman’s murder, receiving a sentence of life imprisonment. The lawyers representing the 83 year old’s family stated how the repairman had been lying regarding his previous jobs, with the company never verifying his past history. It claimed how if Charter would have actually done the verification, and seen the incident coming, the repairman would never pass qualification from getting job.
According to the records, Holden had apparently had violated rules by taking pictures of confidential documents at residences of a couple of elderly women. He had reportedly requested money from his manager, along with mental health help from the company’s programmes. However, he was still permitted to work, where he was set to turn up at the victim’s house in December 2019, where she was killed just a day after the house call.
Thomas’ family simply wanted to get the matter out in the open, with revelations showing that Charter sent the home an overdue check for Holden’s service. Reportedly, the company tried to compel arbitration onto the family through submission of paperwork to the court, indicating Thomas’ agreement to Charter’s service terms. Damages in this would have reportedly come to an amount of $200, which was her final bill.