A successful outcome in your truck accident case is something that involves much more than just a jury verdict that says those who you sued were “negligent” and “liable.” A successful outcome also means getting a damages award that truly and fully reflects just how much harm this accident has inflicted upon you and your family. That means going the extra lengths necessary to get the evidence that clearly shows who was to blame for the crash. It means getting the proof needed to establish that the defendants you sued had engaged in various missteps and misconduct that further increased their liability. In other words, your case needs the skill of an experienced San Mateo truck accident attorney to get you all the compensation that you deserve.
A recent verdict from Bakersfield is an example of many of the ways that it pays to have a skilled attorney on your side. T.C. and her children, A.C. and M.C., were shopping for school clothes when they were hurt in a massive crash. A big rig and the family’s SUV met in an intersection, with the collision causing major injuries to the mother and the son. The mother and son each suffered a traumatic brain injury, facial fractures, skull fractures and multiple brain bleeds. The injuries left the mother with no sense of smell or taste, and with diminished vision and hearing, all of which took away her independence, according to Bakersfield.com. The daughter suffered cuts and scratches.
Clearly, the family had suffered major harm. The mother and son had injuries that would affect them for the rest of their lives. However, what they didn’t have at first was definitive proof regarding who caused the crash. The big rig driver who collided with the family’s SUV said that his traffic light was green when he went through the intersection and that T.C. ran a red light. The mother, due to her injuries, had no memory of the crash or the moments immediately preceding it. The two surveillance cameras at nearby businesses, which the California Highway Patrol reviewed, were inconclusive.
If you tried to handle your case on your own, you might feel stymied by this turn of events, and think your case was hopeless.
Fortunately, T.C. didn’t handle her case on her own. She and her family had legal counsel, and that attorney knew to dig deeper. The Bakersfield.com report indicated that the family’s lawyer discovered that a Golden Empire Transit bus was parked nearby when the crash happened. Investigators for the family’s attorney got the video footage from that bus. That video was the key, as it showed that the semi driver, not T.C., was the driver who ran a red light.
The trucker at fault was driving on a suspended license
The lawyer’s investigators also did extra digging regarding the trucker and trucking company. Many people injured in truck crashes may be able to describe what happened and what symptoms they have, but they might not know how to dig into the truck driver and trucking company’s past. The investigators for this family’s attorney did know, and did unearth important evidence. That digging revealed that the truck had been in fourteen previous crashes and was driving on a suspended CDL, according to the Bakersfield.com report. The trucking company that employed the trucker had its authority revoked some 14 months after the crash.
All of this helped to paint a truly complete picture for the jury, and that complete picture persuaded the jury to hold the defendants liable and order them to pay the family damages totaling $70.5 million, the largest ever personal injury award in that county.
Whether yours was a massive intersection crash or slow-speed stoplight rear-ender, your vehicle accident has the potential to inflict upon you injuries that will alter your life permanently. The goal of any personal injury lawsuit is to end with a judgment or settlement that fully reflects just how much damage was done to you. Talk to the experienced San Mateo truck accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos. Our attorneys have many years of experience helping our clients fight the trucking companies and insurance companies to get the compensation they deserve. To set up a free consultation with one of our helpful attorneys, contact us at 650-345-8484 or through our website.
A California Family Obtains a $70M Judgment After a Big Rig Ran a Red Light and Slammed into Them
