The younger brother of Paris, Barron has been ordered by a Los Angeles Superior Court jury to pay up to $4.9 million to a gas station attendant he hit with his car in 2008, the same day he was arrested for drunk driving.|
The July 7 verdict brings a close to a civil suit filed by Fernando Tellez, whose lawyer claims he was permanently disabled and has to "undergo multiple surgeries and medical procedures" after the then 18-year-old Barron struck him with his Mercedes-Benz as he pulled into a Pacific Coast Highway gas station.
Hilton was taken into custody for a DUI when a blood-alcohol test revealed that his blood alcohol limit was .14, well above California's legal limit. Witnesses also said that Barron was driving the wrong way down the highway for miles before running into Tellez. Barron entered a plea of no contest and received three years' probation.
The $4.6 million judgment covers pain and suffering, medical expenses and loss of earnings, according to the Los Angeles Times. Hilton must also pay $225,000 in punitive damages and nearly $71,000 in interest.
Barron was unavailable for comment. His Twitter page revealed that he was in the Hamptons on the day the jury handed down its verdict.
