Large Award in Wrongful Death Case Arising from Truck Accident

A trucking company and its driver were ordered to pay $22.7 million in damages arising from a truck accident that killed a man on the Interstate 294 in 2012. The verdict is said to be the largest award for a wrongful death case in more than a decade in Cook County.

Details of Truck Accident

The decedent was a private investigator who was working at the time of the collision. The lawsuit alleged that the decedent’s car was stopped in a construction zone along the road when a truck crashed into the back of his car, instantly killing the decedent. His widow, the plaintiff, was in the early weeks of a pregnancy when the accident occurred. She said that she lost her unborn baby a few weeks after the crash.

Investigators said that the truck driver was not only driving at excessive speed but also had several narcotic substances in his system when the truck accident happened. The truck driver also had a history of speeding.

The plaintiff tried to settle the case out of court but the defendants insisted on a jury trial. After hours of deliberation, the jury emerged with a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, in an amount that plaintiff hopes would teach other trucking companies to exercise more care in the selection of truck drivers.

Claiming Compensation for Truck Accident

Truck accidents often lead to catastrophic results for pedestrians and other motorists on lighter vehicles. Persons who survive a car versus truck accident are often left with severe injuries such as head injury, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and other serious physical harm that often requires extensive medical treatment, continuous check-up, tests, and physical therapy or rehabilitation.

In California, anyone who is injured in a truck accident may have a potential claim for compensation against the persons responsible for the collision such as the truck driver, trucking company, truck manufacturer, or truck parts manufacturer. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you determine whether the fatal crash was caused by another person and whether a right of action exists against them.

In Los Angeles, California, the Bedford Law Group has more than 10 years of proven experience in truck accidents. Our firm has helped injured clients and their families move on from the catastrophic consequences of their accidents through aggressive representation in litigation and by obtaining the maximum value of compensation that they legally deserve.

You are invited to call us today at (310) 507-7900 for an initial consultation to discuss the merits of your case.