Last month, a jury in Cobb County, Ga. awarded about $641,000 to a man who broke his back in a 2010 accident that occurred when a dump truck broke down in the middle of I-595. The Truck Accident Attorneys‘ own Michael Goldberg helped prove that the truck company was 90% responsible for the accident, leading to the substantial verdict.
According to a recent article in the Atlanta Daily Report, the verdict was more than twice the amount of the highest settlement offer. The verdict reimbursed the victim for medical expenses as well as provided compensation for the suffering he endured.
The laws and and regulations that govern large commercial vehicles are complex and require a different approach than the typical auto accident case. That is why the attorney the victims hired sought the help of the Truck Accident Attorneys. More than 75% of our practice is devoted to trucking cases.
The Facts of the Case
On the morning of April 1, 2010, our client was driving in rush hour traffic when a dump truck a few vehicles ahead of him suddenly stopped. To avoid hitting the person in front of him, our client decided to pull his truck onto the shoulder. The grass alongside the highway, however, had frosted overnight, and his truck slid over a cliff. All of this happened in a matter of seconds.
Our client broke his back in the accident and was rushed to the hospital to have surgery.
The accident was the direct result of the abrupt stop of the dump truck, which was caused by improper maintenance of the vehicle. A broken driveshaft had caused the brakes to lock.
A Simple Guiding Principle
Goldberg summed up the case in very simple terms in the Daily Report:
“Our argument was, when you create the emergency, you’re responsible.”
The company failed to maintain their equipment, which caused the accident that resulted in our client’s pain and suffering. Using his knowledge of the laws and regulations that govern large commercial vehicles such as tractor-trailers and dump trucks, Goldberg was able to demonstrate the legal foundation for this simple principle.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of an accident involving a semi truck, tractor-trailer or other large vehicle, please contact the Truck Accident Attorneys for a free, no-obligation consultation.