We often talk about the dangers of truck accidents and how serious the injuries they cause can be, as well as how complex the legal matters surrounding truck accidents can be. Talking about hypotheticals is one thing, but showing examples is quite another. One New York family has spent the past few years learning firsthand just how difficult these truck accident cases can be.
Back near the end of 2011, only a few short days after Christmas, a father and husband was driving to work when a truck struck the back of his car. The man hit his head, but the car was not severely damaged, and he claimed that he felt fine. Over the next few days, he suffered from many strange symptoms before finally becoming paralyzed while driving and succumbing to injuries early in January of the following year.
The man’s wife filed a lawsuit against the company that owned the truck, claiming that he was healthy before the accident, and that the accident was ultimately responsible for his death. According to an attorney representing the victim’s family, the trucking company defended itself by claiming that the man had a sudden stroke completely unrelated to the accident. However, multiple tests and medical testimony pointed to the contrary. And after struggling with the case for nearly four years, the case was finally settled out of court to the tune of about $10 million.
Of course this money comes nowhere near paying for the life of a husband and father, but it will help the family cope without their primary wage earner, and more importantly, a small measure of justice was served. The lesson is very clear: trucking companies will often try to deny their liability or responsibility in a fatal accident, but with perseverance and legal assistance, you can overcome their claims and hold them responsible for their actions.
Source: New York Daily News, “EXCLUSIVE: Family of Queens dad who died days after accident gets $10M settlement,” Christina Carrega-Woodby, Feb. 15, 2016