Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

The injured man was bicycling to work on his bicycle last February. A tractor-trailer, running late on a delivery from the Midwest, left the roadway and struck the man, sending him flying and tumbling over 100 feet from the point of impact.

The bicyclist suffered life-changing injuries: rib fractures, a tear to his liver, open (bone protruding) fractures of his lower leg, and traumatic brain injury. As a result of this terrible collision, Mr. Hill is now totally disabled and cannot work.

The driver of the truck admitted he never saw the bicyclist, claiming he never left the road. However, it seems the truck driver couldn't keep his story straight. He later said he thought he might have hit a mailbox. Although there was not direct evidence that the truck driver had fallen asleep, there was abundant evidence that he was at the very least "driving tired" - a very dangerous practice. The trucker had been driving 14.5 hours out of the last 18 hours, a clear violation of the federal safety regulations. (This is the kind of critical evidence that an attorney experienced in truck accident litigation is likely to uncover). The trucking company’s response to this collision: they offered the man’s family $2,000 - a tiny fraction of the man's medical bills, future medical care, and numerous other kinds of damages.

The injured man's family wisely retained a qualified attorney. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury decided the trucking company and driver caused $2 million in actual damages to Mr. Hill. The jury also awarded an additional $1 million in punitive damages. Hopefully, this trucking company is now convinced that its drivers need to abide by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.