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Deal Applies Brakes to Paris Crash Suit

Mon., Jul. 16, 2007 5:15 PM PDT by Natalie Finn

Paris Hilton managed to steer clear of this particular vehicular jam.

Court documents show that a settlement was reached Friday in the personal injury lawsuit brought against the heiress by a SoCal couple who were involved in a four-car accident caused by Hilton's cousin back in 2004.

Brooke Ashley Brinson had been driving Hilton's Mercedes at the time of the crash, but her celebutante relative was present only in terms of ownership papers and not physically along for the ride.

Brinson was motoring eastbound on Los Angeles' 10 Freeway on May 30, 2004, when she rear-ended a car that in turn struck two other vehicles, including the plaintiffs'.

Ivan Alvarez and Monica Delgado of West Covina sued Hilton and Brinson for negligence in May 2005, seeking cash to pay for medical bills, damage to their car, emotional distress and loss of wages and earning capacity.

They alleged that Brinson didn't slow down in time to avoid plowing into a car that was stopped in heavy traffic and that Hilton was legally responsible for the chain-reaction smashup.

The duo originally filed suit in Pomona Superior Court, figuring that their alleged pain and suffering amounted to at least $250,000 in damages, but a judge transferred their case to the lower claim courthouse in West Covina after ruling that the financial compensation that Alvarez and Delgado were entitled to didn't surpass $25,000.

Neither side would divulge the terms of the deal, but the case is scheduled to be formally dismissed at an Aug. 29 hearing, while a Sept. 10 trial date has been cleared from the docket.

"We're happy it's over and it was settled satisfactory to all parties," Alvarez and Delgado's attorney, Mauro Fiore Jr., told reporters.

While there was no need for Hilton to appear in court last week, having surely had her fill of gavels and bailiffs for the time being, TMZ reported that Brinson has more quality time with the criminal justice system in store.

The now-21-year-old was busted in December for DUI after she was pulled over and registered at least a 0.15 percent blood-alcohol level, nearly twice the legal limit. Brinson was 20 at the time and, in addition to misdemeanor charges of driving a vehicle while under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher, she's been charged with unlawful use of license. Per TMZ, she's due back in court Aug. 3.

And as an investigation within the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department swirls around whether Hilton was given special treatment behind bars, the 26-year-old socialite is busy milking freedom for all its worth. Hilton spent this past weekend in Malibu, engaging in some beginner-level surfing and pro-level partying at the Polaroid Beach House, where, according to E! Online's Party Girl, she stuck to Evian and fruit smoothies.