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Paris Gets Out of Traffic Jam
She may be rich, but that doesn't mean Paris Hilton can be had.
A California judge on Thursday rejected a Los Angeles couple's claim that they're entitled to $250,000 in damages apiece after a vehicle owned by the hotel heiress—but driven by another family member—caused a chain reaction that rear-ended the couple's car in May 2004.
Pomona Superior Court Judge Robert A. Dukes ruled that plaintiffs Ivan Alvarez and Monica Delgado did not deserve such a hefty payout, after determining the harm done to them from the accident did not rise above $25,000, according to City News Service.
The pair filed their lawsuit against the Simple Life star on May 30, two years after Hilton's cousin, Brooke Ashley Brinson, plowed Hilton's Mercedes-Benz into another car on the San Bernardino Freeway, causing a four-vehicle collision that ended up smashing the couple's car—stuck in heavy traffic—further up the road.
According to the complaint, Alvarez and Delgado sustained "serious injuries" as a result of the pileup and blamed Brinson for failing to slow down in time. Even though Hilton was nowhere near the accident, Alvarez and Delgado named her in their suit, which sought $250,000 for emotional distress, loss of wages, medical bills, loss of earning capacity and property damage.
Dukes said the sum went way beyond the damage actually incurred and moved all future hearings in the matter to West Covina Superior Court, which deals with civil cases in which the damages are capped at $25,000.
"In California, if the judge feels that the case is not worth more than $25,000 per person, then they can move the case to a court of limited jurisdiction," said the plaintiffs' attorney, Mauro Fiore Jr.
Fiore said he was disappointed by today's decision.
"I still think it's not a judge's call, it should've gone to a jury. It'll now be in a jury trial but in a limited sort, where the maximum damages are $25,000."
Elliot Mintz, Hilton's publicist, could not be reached for comment.
Aside from her cousin's collision, Paris has other moving violations to worry about.
The 25-year-old "Stars Are Blind" singer was charged in September with two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, after being pulled over leaving a party.
That's not the only unsettled legal matter on her personal docket. Police are investigating an alleged dustup between Hilton and Dancing with the Stars' Shanna Moakler at a Hollywood club earlier this month, but so far no charges have been filed.
On the bright side, Hilton can look forward to moral support in any future court endeavors from both Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan. Hilton patched things up with her two estranged pals in recent days.
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