A jury awarded the family of Anita Gibbs over $35 million for her death that occurred 4 years ago. Gibbs was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer as their vehicle was stopped. She was one of four people killed in this accident.
Plaintiff’s attorneys argued that CenTra Trucking Company who employed the driver of the tractor-trailer was reckless in their monitoring of their drivers records and ensuring they abide by company policies. They further argued that the driver was fatigued at the time of the accident and falsified his rest logs to show that he was rested as he was driving. The attorneys were able to demonstrate this by issuing a subpoena for the driver’s cell phone history which showed that he was in Illinois when his rest log said he was in Columbia.
During trial, several individuals spoke on behalf of the victim who was a 55 year old principal of an elementary school, including a politician and former student. The jury gave a $5.25 million compensatory verdict and a $30 million punitive damages award for the victim.
Trucking accidents can be tragic and its after-effects may resonate to the victim’s family. If your family has been a victim of a truck accident, it is important to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.