Taco Bell Hit with $5.7M Verdict for Negligence

0:00A jury just hit a Taco Bell franchise, with a $5.7 million dollar verdict for negligence in a 2020 shooting in Hartford. Two men, Samuel Martinez and Victor Arroyo, plus Arroyo's young daughter who saw it all, got the payout after management hired the shooter. 34-year-old Armando Perez, without running a criminal background check despite his clear gang ties. The trouble kicked off with an argument inside the restaurant on November 15, 2020, between Perez and Martinez, right in front of, managers, staffing shortages kept Perez on the clock, and when Martinez came back later that evening, around 5 p.m. to grab his girlfriend, Perez unloaded. 17 shots into their car in the parking lot. Martinez took bullets to his right arm and knee. Arroyo got hit in the foot with a fracture, and the little girl endured the trauma without a scratch. But plenty of emotional scars. The jury nailed the company for failing to supervise Perez, and ignoring their own safety rules amid ongoing crime and understaffing at the spot.

1:03Evidence show Perez making threats on the job, packing heat at work, and managers basically using him to handle their messes with surveillance. Catching workers barely reacting to the chaos. Perez's visible gang tattoos made it into court, though his full rap sheet didn't. This ruling spotlights how skipping basic checks can turn a fast food gig deadly, pushing franchises to tighten up hiring and keep eyes on there. Crews. That rap's Hartford News today, brought to you with AI.