The victim of a truck accident recently received a multi-million dollar verdict. The federal jury awarded $3.8 million in compensatory damages, but an agreement placing a ceiling on the judgment reduces this amount to $2.5 million. The defendant, a Pennsylvania insurance company, has no intention of appealing the verdict.
The truck driver responsible for the wreck crashed his truck into the injured victim’s rig in 2010. The victim’s vehicle was at a standstill during a traffic jam with its flashers on. The truck driver ignored directions of county sheriff deputies directing traffic and, without ever slowing down, struck the victim’s vehicle. Estimates showed that the truck was traveling 60 to 65 miles per hour when the accident occurred.
The truck driver apparently had spent the previous evening at a party and popping pills. This truck driver died six days after the accident occurred. Blood tests revealed he had opiates and Xanax in his bloodstream. He had pills in his pockets at the time of the accident. One witness stated the driver was washing down Percocet and Xanax with Crown Royal Whiskey the prior day. It appears that he fell asleep at the wheel right before the accident happened.
The victim of the accident, a veteran who served tours in Afghanistan and Bosnia, survived the crash but suffered numerous injuries. Medical bills so far have exceeded $40,000. His lawyer says the victim’s a young man and “very outdoorsy.” The victim had to undergo a spinal fusion and apparently experiences constant pain. A head injury sustained left him unable to recall the accident.
As truck accidents often result in egregious injuries, compensation is required to cover short-term and long-term care and medical costs. Skilled personal injury attorneys understand all of the costs of such accidents. They assist clients with all of their options and represent them at trial if necessary to make certain the compensation is fair.
Source: Daily Report, “Jury Awards $3.8 Million in Truck Wreck,” R. Robin McDonald, March 13, 2015