Jury awards $21.6 million for injury settlement

Crashes involving a semi-truck are usually severe and often fatal. A Georgia Jury recently awarded the driver of a car and his wife with $21.6 million in damages for the loss of his leg in a crash with a semi-truck. The trial in Whitfield County Superior Court took place over four days, but the jury needed only two hours to determine damages and fault.

The victim hit the semi in 2016 when the slow-moving vehicle loaded with cargo pulled across a highway to take a left turn. Injuries from the wreck resulted in doctors amputating the man’s leg below the knee and treatment for other injuries to the leg and hip.

A dispute over who was at fault

A majority of the trial was spent determining which defender was the cause of the accident. It was either the spotter employed by the scrap yard to help truck drivers safely enter the highway or the driver. The spotter claimed that the driver did not wait for guidance before entering traffic. The driver claimed that they pulled out properly and that the truck was big enough that oncoming traffic would easily spot the truck and respond accordingly. The truck driver, however, changed his story several times during the trial, which led to credibility issues. This prompted the jury to side with the spotter and place fault with the driver.

Large settlements common in truck accidents

It is increasingly common for juries to award large settlements to the victims injured in truck-related accidents or others caused by negligent motorists. Victims with catastrophic injuries and their families are advised to speak with an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney. There is no out of pocket expense because they are only paid when they win the victim’s case.