Monthly Archives: November 2008

Truck accident attorney gets $3.9 million settlement for truck crash victim

Faulty truck, unfit epileptic driver cited in fatal Detroit truck accident

Michigan Lawyers Weekly covers Steven M. Gursten’s truck accident wrongful death case that resulted in a $3.9 million settlement, the largest Michigan reported settlement for 2008.

In Nunez v. Utica Transit Mix, Plaintiff Patrick Nunez was killed when a fully-loaded gravel hauler smashed into his vehicle on I-75 in Detroit. The truck driver admitted in a deposition he was on powerful epilepsy medication Tegretol (which causes drowsiness), and that his truck was out of service in more than five different ways.

Here’s the Michigan Lawyers Weekly story: Epileptic trucker kills man in Detroit truck accident

November 24, 2008

Related information about truck accidents:

Special report: Michigan’s bad trucking companies

Michigan truck accident facts and causes


 

Channel 7 News: Fiery truck accident caused by motor carrier with 7 crashes in 2 years

Michigan truck accident attorney Steve Gursten is featured in a breaking news story on fatal truck crash, truck company’s poor safety record

Truck accident attorney Steven M. Gursten was interviewed by WXYZ Channel 7 Action News in relation to a serious Grand Rapids truck crash that took the life of trucker Albert Martinez, who worked for Aero Bulk Carrier.

Reporters requested an interview with Gursten for his insight, as he was chair of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Interstate Truck Litigation Group and he is head of Michigan Auto Law.

Gursten commented on Aero Bulk Carrier, the truck company that hired Martinez, who had four speeding tickets and a warning from the Secretary of State. And Aero Bulk Carrier had six accidents (not including the latest) among its 36 drivers in the last two years, where five of those crashes resulted in juries and one fatality.

Said Gursten, “You don’t have six accidents in two years with that few drivers unless something is going on. So it really makes me wonder what kind of policies and procedures that company has in effect to prevent accidents.”

November 2008

Related information:

8 things to know after a truck accident

Michigan Auto Law client testimonials

 

Diane Hathaway’s Michigan Supreme Court win may be end of Kreiner v. Fischer

Car Accident lawyer tells Michigan Lawyers Weekly that criticized car accident case may be overturned with Justice Hathaway on the bench

Michigan Lawyers Weekly covers the effect that new Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway will have on the state’s car accident law, Kreiner v. Fischer. Steven M. Gursten and other Michigan car accident lawyers say since Hathaway’s new seat balances the bipartisan Court, and that Hathaway has been quoted agreeing with the dissent in Kreiner, there is a good chance it will be overturned.

Kreiner interpreted the No-Fault act’s “serious impairment of body function” statute, establishing the precondition plaintiffs must meet before they can sue for non-economic damages in such a way that many people who suffered serious injuries and who missed months from work, had virtually zero rights.

Here’s the Michigan Lawyers Weekly story: Hathaway’s win in Michigan Supreme Court race may end for Kreiner v. Fischer

November 10, 2008

Update: The Michigan Supreme Court, as of August 1, 2010, has overturned Kreiner v. Fischer with McCormick v. Carrier, restoring the rights of car accident victims in the state. Now, when auto accident victims are pursuing pain and suffering damages, they have to prove their life has been affected – not completely altered as was required under Kreiner.

Related information:

The 38 worst judicial travesties of the Michigan Supreme Court with Cliff Taylor

McCormick v. Carrier to bring new body of car accident law in Michigan