Truck Accident Case Examples from the Lawyers of Michigan Auto Law

From the hundreds of people who have been injured in Michigan truck accidents that our attorneys have been able to help, here are a couple of real-life examples that have brought Michigan families justice -- by making unsafe trucking companies reform their safety standards and pay for their deadly mistakes.

 Estate of Patrick G. Nunez v. Utica Transit Mix and Supply, Co. Inc. and Charles L. Dreyer
Patrick Nunez was traveling in the fast lane on I-75 in Detroit when a trucker driving a fully-loaded, 150,000 pound gravel truck lost control and collided with plaintiff Nunez' car. His car was smashed against the highway retainer wall where it burst into flames, killing Nunez.

The truck lost control when its front-steer tire blew. But trucks are not supposed to dangerously lose control when they experience a tire blow-out, which is a foreseeable and common event. The defendant lost control because his truck was in a defective and dangerous out-of-service mechanical condition. The driver also admitted he had received no formal training or supervision from his employer. He also said he failed to inspect the truck's tires and brakes. Additionally, he had a seizure disorder and was on powerful epilepsy medication that causes drowsiness and delayed reaction time.

Because of the Michigan truck driver's negligence, the case settled for $3.9 million.

Confidential
A plaintiff professional truck driver with an exemplary safety record is killed when he slams into another truck that is blocking the roadway. The defendant says the plaintiff is at fault for not seeing the truck and not braking to avoid the crash. Here's what our investigation revealed: The defendant, a very inexperienced truck driver, got lost and tried to make a U-turn while driving a large white tractor-trailer truck. His white truck became stuck, blocking both lanes of a rural highway with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour on a very foggy day. The plaintiff, driving an 80,000 pound tanker truck, could not stop in time, causing a horrific collision.

Working with some of the nation's top trucking experts and accident reconstructionists, the personal injury lawyers of Michigan Auto Law were able to show that due to the existing weather conditions, the plaintiff could not possibly perceive the stopped truck, react and brake in time to avoid crashing. The plaintiff's truck, traveling at 35 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone, was propelling at approximately 52.5 feet per second. The plaintiff could not possibly have seen and avoided the white truck that day until it was too late. With approximately 1.5 seconds between the time it takes a person to perceive and react, and then the distance it would take to stop his 80,000 pound tanker truck, the plaintiff simply had no chance.

The defendant's decision to attempt a U-turn, blocking both lanes of travel with a large white truck on a rural highway during an extremely foggy day was shocking, reckless and disturbing. Furthermore, he tested positive for marijuana after the crash. Due to the defendant's gross negligence, the plaintiff's family received a substantial confidential settlement for his tragic wrongful death truck accident case.

Truck Accident Lawyers Protecting Drivers

At a time when our federal regulators and Michigan agencies are doing very little to protect people from unsafe trucking companies and unfit drivers, one of the only groups pushing unsafe trucking companies to reform their conduct are truck accident lawyers.  As lawyers taking on the trucking industry, we are bringing lawsuits that force bad trucking companies to change and improve safety.
Please call an experienced truck accident lawyer if you or a family member has been seriously injured in a truck accident in Michigan, (800) 777-0028. Or to request a free, no obligation case evaluation with one of our truck accident attorneys, please fill out our contact form and we will respond to your inquiry within one business day.

Michigan Auto Law has the resources and expertise to get you the results and care you need to get your life back on track. No other law firm in Michigan has received more jury verdicts or consistently higher settlements for truck accident cases. In fact, the vast majority of our wrongful death and personal injury cases from truck accidents are referred to us by local attorneys, based upon our record of experience and success. In 2008, Michigan Auto Law partner Steven Gursten received the top verdict in the entire state of Michigan for a truck accident case, as well as the largest truck accident settlement. Another comforting point: Michigan Auto Law charges its clients on a contingency basis, meaning that its lawyers are only paid if they win.