Lawsuit Accuses LDS Church of Handing Keys to 'Unsafe' and 'Incompetent' Driver Before Devastating Wreck
A Kent resident has filed a personal injury lawsuit against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and an unidentified driver, alleging negligence and negligent entrustment following a 2024 traffic collision that left him with what the complaint describes as “life-changing injuries.”
The civil complaint, filed on May 4, 2026 in King County Superior Court, names Bruce Andrade as the plaintiff.
According to court documents, the collision occurred on March 16, 2024. Andrade, identified as the restrained driver of a 2017 Jeep Wrangler, was stopped in a turn lane, attempting to exit the highway near the intersection of Kent Des Moines Road and Military Road South.
The lawsuit alleges that the driver of the vehicle behind him—identified in the complaint only as “John Doe”—failed to slow down and rear-ended Andrade’s vehicle. Andrade claims he could do nothing to avoid the crash.
To account for all potentially liable parties, the suit also names “Doe Spouses” and “John Does 1-5” as defendants.
Attorneys Joshua Brumley and James W. Fox of the Kent-based Brumley Law Firm, representing Andrade, argue that the LDS Church is vicariously liable for the incident.
The complaint asserts that the LDS Church owned and had the right to control the vehicle, and that the unidentified driver was acting as an agent, servant, or employee within the course and scope of their employment for the LDS Church at the time of the collision.
The lawsuit specifically accuses the driver of breaching Washington state driving duties. The complaint alleges the driver failed to drive attentively, failed to keep a proper lookout, and violated the rules of the road set forth under RCW 46.61.
Furthermore, the lawsuit takes direct aim at the Church’s oversight, accusing the institution of negligent entrustment.
The plaintiff’s counsel alleges the LDS Church “negligently permitted Defendant John Doe to use and operate the subject vehicle by failing to perform a background check or ensure that Defendant John Doe was a safe driver.”
The complaint goes on to claim the LDS Church knew or should have known the driver was “unfit” or “incompetent,” thereby putting an “unsafe driver behind the wheel.”
Andrade is seeking unspecified special and general damages, as well as pre- and post-judgment interest.
In addition to past and future medical expenses for hospital costs and physical therapy, the complaint specifies that Andrade has incurred out-of-pocket costs for household expenses for essential services and traveling to medical appointments.
He also claims lost wages due to his inability to travel to work following the incident.