A jury has ruled against a driver who sued the victims' families in a civil case.
Jurors ruled David Belniak will have to pay more than $13 million in compensatory damages. Punitive damages will be decided today.
The McWilliams's and the Bassi's were on their way to Christmas Dinner on December 25, 2007. But the couples never made it.
As they were stopped at a red light on U.S. 19, a truck driven by David Belniak slammed into them. One expert testified Belniak was going 86 mph and didn't even tap the brakes once.
Linda McWilliams and Denise and Gerard Bassi were all killed. Belniak pleaded guilty in criminal court to three counts of DUI manslaughter.
But, when the families of the victims filed a civil suit, Belniak made a surprise move and countersued.
"I'm really glad that our story was finally heard and you can't put a price on our parents...you can't," said Michelle Bassi, the victims' daughter. "So, I'm very, very pleased and I'm very relived. I'm relieved it's over."
During closings, Belniak's attorney Debra Tuomey, who is also his sister, argued the other driver, Ray McWilliams, was to blame for the crash.
"Scientific evidence doesn't lie," Tuomey says. "These photographs cannot and will not tell you a lie."
In her closing, Deskins argued just the opposite, recalling testimony from eyewitnesses who say they saw Belniak careening down the road just minutes before the crash.
During the trial, Belniak took the stand in his own defense and told the jury the crash was unavoidable.