$24 Million Illinois Wrongful Death Award Upheld
The Chicago Sun-Times reported this weekend on a jury verdict that was recently upheld following a 10-vehicle truck crash on Interstate 55. The massive Illinois car accident killed two area men and permanently injured a third in early April of 2004.
The accident was caused by a 40-ton tractor-trailer that crashed into three cars near the Route 30 exit in Plainfield. Following the accident the negligent truck driver was found guilty of failing to reduce speed causing an accident and falsifying her logbook to mislead investigators into believing that she was not violating the law.
The driver was sentenced to 2.5 years of probation and loss of her commercial driver’s license. Surprisingly, the license loss only lasts two years, meaning she was fully capable of returning to the road once that time was up.
The family of one of the victims filed an Illinois wrongful death lawsuit after the crash against the negligent truck company which employed the driver and the company whose materials were being transported. That case reached trial and in March of 2009 a jury found against the companies, rendering a $24 million verdict for the plaintiffs.
The defendants appealed the decision, specifically arguing that the truck driver was not the agent of the company at the time of the truck crash. However, the Illinois appellate court rejected that argument, rightly noting that the employee was an agent while behind the wheel
Our Chicago truck crash lawyers at Levin & Perconti are well aware of the massive damage negligent trucks are capable of inflicting on innocent drivers nearby. The potential for harm makes it imperative that all drivers (and the companies that employ them) take every possible precaution. When a driver fails in this regard and causes damage, the relevant individuals and companies must come forward and take responsibility for the losses. Please contact an Illinois injury lawyer if you or a loved one has suffered from one of these accidents.
See Our Related Blog Posts:
Illinois Wrongful Death Lawsuit Settlement Approved in Madison County
Jury Awards $1 Million Dollar Nursing Home Wrongful Death Jury Verdict
