Trucking Company Slammed With “Nuclear Verdict” In Fatal Crash

“Nuclear verdicts” are those handed down by a jury that exceed $10 million. In a recent truck accident lawsuit, a Georgia jury handed down a $47 million “nuclear verdict” against the defendant, Schneider National, a trucking company from Wisconsin. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the family of an owner-operator who was killed in August 2017.

Following a 5-day trial, jurors in Cherokee County State Court in Canton, Georgia, awarded $47 million in compensatory damages to the family of the slain truck driver. Jurors apportioned 100% of the blame on Schneider and their truck driver for the fatal crash.

What happened?

According to court documents, the decedent was an owner-operator of his own trucking company, Nance Truckin LLC of Powder Springs, Georgia. The decedent was struck and killed around 5:40 a.m. on August 17, 2017, after exiting his 2007 International 9400 tractor. Investigators revealed that the decedent was forced to brake suddenly and steer his tractor into the emergency lane, striking the concrete median, on Interstate 285.

A witness and party to the accident told police that the driver of the Schneider vehicle swerved across multiple lanes of traffic and into the witness’s lane where he struck and killed the decedent.

The decedent’s widow filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Schneider in April 2018, which originally named the witness and his employer in the suit. However, the witness and his employer were later dismissed from the lawsuit after their insurance company settled with the decedent’s estate.

The defendant truck driver, in his deposition, testified that he started working at Schneider in June 2017, two months before the crash. He only had his CDL for four months prior to causing the fatal collision.

The driver of the Schneider truck 

Attorneys for the plaintiff presented evidence that the driver of the Schneider truck was not only negligent for the accident, but had amassed several critical driving events for hard braking and stability control issues. His motor vehicle record report, which he reviewed during his deposition, indicated that he had been involved in multiple crashes during his seven months of employment with Schneider. The driver testified that Schneider’s predictive analytics software “sensed that he would be crashing soon.” Nonetheless, Schneider did nothing to help him when he was experiencing numerous critical events while driving his rig. Ultimately, the driver was fired from Schneider, but not before causing a fatal accident.

The defendants were hit with allegations of negligent entrustment, negligent hiring, and negligent supervision over a problem employee who was destined to cause a serious accident. The decedent was a father who left behind a wife and three children.

Talk to a Jacksonville, FL Truck Accident Lawyer Today 

Gillette Law represents the interests of Georgia and Florida plaintiffs who have been injured by negligent truck drivers. Call our Jacksonville personal injury attorneys today to schedule a consultation, and we can begin discussing how you could recover damages for your medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced quality of life.

Source:

freightwaves.com/news/jury-slams-schneider-national-with-47m-nuclear-verdict-in-fatal-crash