A recent verdict of nearly $90 million handed down by a Houston jury against trucking giant Werner Enterprises Inc. is only the latest reminder of the incredible devastation caused by wrecks involving drivers operating a tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler, or other heavy truck.
The six-week trial in Harris County District Court ended with jurors awarding damages to the family of Houston resident Jennifer Blake for physical pain, mental anguish, and future medical expenses.
The case against Werner Enterprises focused on a December 2014 crash in Ector County near Odessa. Ms. Blake was driving in the eastbound lane of Interstate 20 with her three children when her pickup reportedly veered across an icy roadway. The Blake’s truck slid into the path of a Werner tractor-trailer driven by a student driver who was making a delivery to California.
Ms. Blake and her eldest son suffered extensive brain injuries in the wreck, which also claimed the life of her youngest son and left her daughter a quadriplegic who will need 24-hour care for the rest of her life.
The Nebraska-based company claimed no responsibility for the crash, which on its face seems reasonable since its driver stayed on his side of the road and stopped his truck as soon as possible after the impact.
But, as with any lawsuit, there was another side to the story. Attorneys for the Blake family told the jury that the driver should have been traveling on a different road based on the icy conditions. They also claimed he was exceeding the speed limit, and that a Werner employee told the tractor-trailer driver to take the I-20 route.
Tractor-Trailer Verdict Factors, Appeal Coming
The high-dollar verdict no doubt was influenced by evidence that Werner had not provided the driver with a CB radio or outside thermometer to help monitor road conditions. Jurors also had to be feeling tremendous sympathy for the Blake family based on the deaths of their two children and their daughter’s lifelong need for expensive medical care.
Werner already has announced the company’s intention to appeal the verdict. It is also entirely possible that the trial court may decide to reduce the award before any judgment is issued based on a variety of factors.
While Werner has a number of avenues to try to get the verdict amount lowered (or even dismissed), cases like this provide further proof of the inherent dangers when passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers share the same roads. As this case reminds us, we all need to be a little bit safer whenever we get behind the wheel, for the good of everyone.