The family of a State Trooper who was killed in a crash has sued the company that rented the car to the man who hit the officer.
The law firm of RisCassi and Davis filed a suit against Enterprise Rent-a-Car on behalf of Sheila Hall, the widow of State Trooper Kenneth Hall.
Michael Pajak was driving a pickup at least 80 mph when he veered from the left lane of Interstate 91 northbound in Enfield into the right shoulder and struck Trooper Kenneth Hall's parked cruiser on Sept. 2, 2010, prosecutors said.
Hall, who was inside the cruiser while making a traffic stop, was severely injured and later died from his injuries.
The lawsuit claims that Enterprise Rent-a-Car failed to require Pajak to disclose any past motor vehicle related convictions and failed to require Pajak to disclose whether his operator’s license had ever been suspended and/or revoked for driving while intoxicated and/or driving under the influence.
Hartford State's Attorney Gail Hardy has said a urine sample from Pajak tested positive for cocaine and other drugs, but a blood test turned up no illegal drugs.
“It would have been obvious, with even a superficial background check, that Mr. Pajak did not belong behind the wheel of a car. He had many license suspensions, DUIs and narcotics offenses in his recent past that Enterprise would have been aware of if they only looked or asked,” attorney Paul Iannaccone, of RisCassi and Davis, said in a news release. He is representing Sheila Hall, the widow of Trooper Hall.
Pajak was sentenced to 11 years in prison for for manslaughter.
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NBC Connecticut has reached out to Enterprise to a statement.
