Millionairess entrepreneur, 78, whose late husband invented light beer wins huge payout after she was struck by San Francisco cable car at 'confusing' junction

An elderly entrepreneur won an $11 million payout after she suffered life-changing injuries when she was hit by a San Francisco cable car at a 'confusing' crossing. 

Ruth Owades, 78, was struck by the historic cable car on December 28, 2022, and subsequently filed a lawsuit against San Francisco's transit agency. 

She said that before the incident, she was 'active and completely independent', but the collision left her with a number of injuries including a traumatic brain injury and spinal fractures. Her payout was first reported by the San Francisco Standard. 

The widow of Joseph L. Owades, the inventor of light beer, Ruth was a successful businesswoman in her own right, but since the incident she has required round-the-clock care and suffers from 'severe cognitive deficits', her lawsuit said. 

Ruth Owades, 78, was struck by a historic San Francisco cable car on December 28, 2022, leaving her with a number of injuries including a traumatic brain injury and spinal fractures 

The elderly entrepreneur was struck unexpectedly as she was walking past a marked crosswalk (pictured) that was 'confusing, misleading, and dangerous to pedestrians', her lawsuit said 

According to her court filing, Owades was hit at 5:23pm unexpectedly as she was walking past a marked crosswalk that was 'confusing, misleading, and dangerous to pedestrians.' 

The lawsuit adds: 'Pedestrians, drivers and operators of cable cars are confused by the intersection and crosswalk as well as the signs, markings and traffic controls at the collision site.' 

Per a KRON4 report from the time, Owades, who lives in a $2.8 million home, was found in the street, and raced to hospital with 'life-threatening injuries.' 

The 78-year-old was subsequently placed in a medically induced coma and intubated, and further tests found she suffered fractures to her L1 spinal vertebrae and her scapula. 

Her lawsuit notes that her injuries mean she 'requires assistance with all activities of daily living including dressing, walking, personal hygiene, shopping and meal preparation.' 

She also suffers from ongoing 'cognitive deficits' and has balance issues that make her a fall risk, which also landed her in the emergency room at least once since being struck by the cable car.  

Ruth (pictured giving the 2013 Commencement Speech at Scripps College) was a successful businesswoman for decades, but has been left requiring round-the-clock care after being struck by the cable car 

Following a closed session this week, the San Francisco Standard reports that the San Francisco Transit Agency's board of directors voted to approve an $11 million settlement for Owades. 

The same vote also approved a $5.5 million payout for a separate incident involving Mei Yu Lin. Details of that incident are unclear, with a filing noting it was only 'involving allegations of personal injury from operator negligence.' 

In a statement to the SF Standard, a spokesman for the City Attorney's Office said: 'We believe the proposed settlement is an appropriate resolution.' 

While her late husband is renowned in the beer industry as the 'father of lite beer', Ruth's successful business career has seen her 'achievements taught in business schools throughout the country', her lawsuit noted. 

Ruth, a successful entrepreneur in her own right, is the widow of Joseph L. Owades (pictured) the inventor of light beer

She was profiled in a HuffPost tribute to 'trailblazing women', where she was described as a serial entrepreneur who was noted for 'changing the way we buy flowers.' 

That achievement came during her time as CEO and Chairman of Calyx & Carolla, the first fresh flower online catalogue, that 'reinvented the floral distribution chain', the post said. 

Her other ventures included gardening retailer Gardener's Eden, which was bought by Williams-Sonoma, and she served as a director of Armstrong World Industries, Deckers Outdoor Corporation, J. Jill Group, and Providian Financial. 

She also served on the Board of Dean's Advisors for Harvard Business School.