AA 63-year-old driving a pickup truck down a country road was struck by a tractor-trailer while negotiating a left turn. The man sustained crushing injuries to his left leg, pelvis and head. He was transported to the hospital following the accident and died two hours later. The driver of the tractor-trailer was on the job at the time, and the tractor-trailer was owned by a transportation contractor. The driver himself, his employer and the transportation contractor were all named as Defendants in the action. The deceased’s family members brought suit individually and on behalf of the estate of the deceased. The suit alleged that the Defendant driver failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to control his speed, and failed to abide by his employer’s safety guidelines. The Defendant argued that the Plaintiff’s negligence was the proximate cause of the collision. The jury returned a verdict of 90% liability against the Defendant driver and 10% against the Plaintiff.
Verdict: $5,385,292 (reduced to $4,846,763)
Case name: Worley et al v. Contract Transportation Systems Co. et al
Court: Leon County District Court, 12th, Texas