$1,200,000 Settlement – truck changes lane into car

Large semi tractor trailer trucks are among the most dangerous vehicles on the road.  They can weigh as much as 70,000 pounds and are hurtling along at 65 MPH.  One wrong move and any other vehicle in the way will suffer severe consequences.  It’s one of the reasons why trucking companies are regulated and why truck drivers must comply with safety rules.

When an 18 wheeler carrying a large load changed lanes into our client’s lane, the impact caused the smaller car off the road. The car struck a tree and our client suffered serious neurologic injuries.  The truck driver and his trucking company denied any responsibility, and claimed that our client had actually changed lanes into the truck. John Elliott Leighton litigated the case against the trucker and the trucking company he was working for. After requests were made for the trucking logs, the company destroyed them before they were produced.   The company only maintained $1 million in liability insurance.  After hard fought litigation, the case was settled just prior to trial for more than the insurance policy limits, $1,200,000.

This is an example of aggressive, strategic litigation in the face of a stone wall by the trucking company and its insurance company.  By fighting hard for our client, we were able to obtain more than the policy limits for the trucking company before getting to trial.

 

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