A settlement has been reached in the case involving the 2023 deaths of a Kentucky couple after a Denny’s sign fell onto their car.
Lloyd Curtis, 77, and his wife, Lillian Curtis, 72, were in their sedan in the parking lot of a Denny’s in Elizabethtown, Ky., on Jan. 19, 2023, when the sign came down, according to WDRB, LEX 18, and The Courier-Journal.
Lillian suffered serious head injuries and died the same day. Lloyd passed away several days later, on Jan. 23, the outlets reported.
Their daughter, Mary Graham, was also in the car and was hospitalized with chest injuries but was later released, according to The Courier-Journal.
Police said strong winds caused the large sign, which was attached to a tall pole, to break loose and fall, per WDRB, LEX 18, and The Courier-Journal.
The family later filed a lawsuit in Hardin County, claiming Denny’s could have taken steps to prevent the accident, according to WDRB and LEX 18. On Sept. 12, Hardin County Circuit Court Judge Larry Ashlock dismissed the case after a settlement was reached, The Courier-Journal reported.
The settlement terms were not made public.
In a statement to PEOPLE, a Denny’s spokesperson said, “Denny’s remains deeply saddened by the sign accident that took place at the Elizabethtown location in 2023. While the terms of the recent settlement are confidential, we hope this agreement brings some measure of closure to the Curtis family.”
Amy Nichols, the couple’s granddaughter, said they were on their way home from a Louisville hospital, where Lloyd had recently undergone heart surgery, when the tragedy happened, according to a GoFundMe page created in 2023.
