$54 Million Awarded In Complicated Trucking Case

An Appellate Court in Illinois upheld a massive verdict against a trucking company for a case that happened in 2011 in Indiana. Back in 2011, an 88-year-old man merged on to I-65 southbound. Unfortunately, the man mistakenly went north on the southbound highway. This resulted in a 7 car accident, from cars trying to avoid the wrong-way driver. At one point, two semi-trucks pulled alongside each other to avoid the elderly man. While trying to avoid the wrong-way driver, one of the semi-trucks hit Roger Denton. Mr. Denton then slid sideways into the middle of the highway. Suddenly, a third semi-truck comes and rear-ends Mr. Denton.

Denton filed a lawsuit in Illinois against the semi-truck driver that rear-ended his vehicle, and the trucking company that hired him. The driver, David Lee Johnson, Universal Am-Cam, and Universal Truckload were the defendants in the lawsuit. All defendants were found negligent, and UAML was found negligent in hiring Johnson, who had a record of bad driving. The jury ordered the negligent parties to pay $19.2 million in compensatory damages and $35 million in punitive damages.

After the trial, the defendants tried to file a series of motions, including a motion for a new trial. They claim that the court did not use Indianan Law to assess the damages and liability, which is mandated since the accident happened in Indiana. Their motions were denied, so they took their case to the Appellate Court. The Appellate Court upheld the lower courts decision. One justice wrote that the defendants showed “flagrant disregard for the Illinois Supreme Court rules” by “chockablock with argumentative, conclusory allegations.”

Injured in a San Antonio Truck Accident? Contact The Law Giant

If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in San Antonio, reach out to The Law Giant, Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers right away. We are well-versed in truck accident insurance claims and can make sure you are being treated fairly by the liable party’s insurer. To schedule a free, initial evaluation of your case, call (210) 921-2200 today, or reach out through the online form.