After weeks of being blamed for the tragic car crash that left an elderly man dead, tennis superstar Venus Williams is firing back with claims of her own to clear her name once and for all.
The estate of Jerome Barson filed a wrongful death suit against Williams, accusing the tennis star of causing the accident that killed the 78-year-old and injured his wife. Now Williams is calling out the estate for their negligence, claiming the couple could have either avoided the crash or lessened the severity of the injuries.
In new court documents obtained by Daily Mail, Williams denies that she caused the crash on June 9th in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. In fact, she says the fatal injuries were due largely in part to the victims’ own carelessness, adding that one of the passengers was not wearing a seatbelt.
According to reports, Williams says the couple’s car could have caused the crash, as it was not properly maintained for safe driving. She also says there were several other drivers on the road who contributed to the chaos and should be held responsible for the fatal crash as well.
In addition, Williams says under Florida law, Barson’s wife’s injuries were not severe enough to demand damages in a lawsuit. Daily Mail reports that the tennis star is demanding all medical records, autopsy reports, life insurance policies and more to properly determine whether the couple had any preexisting conditions prior to the crash.
As the battle between Williams and the estate continues, the accident remains under police investigation.
