Sometimes our loved ones suffer as a result of a truck driver’s carelessness. Sometimes the truck driver denies their fault, and when that happens, their negligence must be proven. The following example illustrates what must be done in these unfortunate situations. Watch the video to learn more.
I had a client who had lost a loved one to a truck driver’s carelessness. Jason was a 19-year-old who was traveling home when he was involved in a collision involving four other drivers. Minutes from his initial impact, Jason was hit by a semi-truck and died. The semi-truck driver denied any fault in the collision, and his employer backed him up.
We had to prove that the driving conditions were hazardous and that the driver’s statements were false.
To do this, we got statements from the other drivers involved. One of the statements said that upon entering the road his speed was the posted 70 mph, but he quickly dropped to 35 mph and even lower to 15 mph before the accident. Others corroborated that statement. The truck driver’s speed, according to the on-board recording system, was 63 mph right before the collision, and this was due in part to the use of cruise control.
We also received sworn statements from local law enforcement that stated the road conditions were deemed hazardous, and that there were many other accidents that night. There is a federal law that mandates speed, and it states that speeds must drop in hazardous conditions. The defendant’s safety policy stated that cruise control is not to be used during hazardous conditions.
The driver also falsified trip records. Public law states that drivers may only drive 70 hours in one week. The data recorded showed the driver completing trips that would need speeds of 86 to 128 mph. His vehicle’s top speed was 63 mph, which meant he was driving when he wasn’t supposed to be. Because the driver and his employers were at risk of future prosecution, they agreed to settle for 7 figures before even going to trial. Watch the video to learn more.
If you have questions about truck driving accidents, please contact our personal injury lawyers by email or call us at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW. Our experienced Chicago-based truck accident lawyers are here for you. You may also find more educational videos and media content about truck and auto accident injuries from the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. on our media page.
