A Commercial Truck Stopped in the Highway
In South Louisiana, on a clear winter morning, a commercial driver parked his flatbed truck on an elevated interstate highway. The truck, loaded with lumber, blocked part of the left lane. The speed limit was 70 miles per hour. The driver got out to check the load, while oncoming traffic approached at highway speeds.
After stopping, the driver got out of his truck. He said he wanted to check the lumber on the back. He believed the load might have shifted. But he did not place any warning signs behind his truck. He did not move the truck to the shoulder. He did not protect drivers coming from behind.
The Crash
Only 40 seconds later, a college student in his early 20s drove into the back of the truck at full speed. This young man is our client.
He had no time to stop. He had no space to move. The truck blocked his lane. The crash happened in seconds. The impact was terrible.
The crash knocked our client unconscious. His car crushed around him. Gasoline spilled onto the road. Fumes filled the air. Other drivers stopped and rushed to help.
They called 911 right away. They tried to pull him out of the car. But the metal was twisted and tight. They could not free him.
Emergency workers arrived. Firefighters used special tools to cut the car open. It took nearly an hour to get him out. A helicopter flew him to a trauma center. Doctors worked fast to save his life.
Sever Injuries and Emergency Treatment
He suffered many serious injuries. He had a traumatic brain injury. This means his brain was hurt in the crash. He had a broken leg. He broke his knee. He broke bones in his thumb and jaw. He had pain all over his body.
Doctors rushed him into surgery. They repaired his leg and hand. They screwed metal rods into his bones to hold them together.
Our client stayed in the hospital for almost a month. Nurses cared for him every day. Therapists helped him learn how to walk and use his hand again. After leaving the hospital, he went to rehab for many more weeks.
A Long Road to Recovery
Rehab was hard. He had to relearn how to walk. He had to rebuild his strength. He had to practice simple tasks again. Every day took effort and courage. Doctors later told him that some of his injuries would never fully heal.
These injuries changed his life forever. His brain injury affects how he thinks, remembers, and feels. His leg injuries put him at risk for arthritis at a young age. Arthritis causes pain and stiffness in joints. One day, he may need knee or hip replacement surgery.
The Lawsuit Against the Trucking Company
Our client filed a lawsuit against the truck driver’s employer. He said the company was responsible for what happened. The law says companies must answer for the actions of their workers while on the job.
Our client also said the company made its own mistakes. The company failed to train the driver properly. It failed to supervise him. It failed to make sure he followed safety rules. It failed to give him the right safety equipment.
The Defense Tried to Blame the Victim
The company and its lawyers tried to blame our client. They said the driver turned on his hazard lights. They said it was daytime. They said the weather was clear. They said our client should have seen the truck from far away. They also said other drivers saw the truck and drove around it. They claimed the crash was our client’s fault.
They also said their driver faced a sudden emergency. They said he stopped because he thought the lumber had shifted. But under oath, the driver admitted something important. He said he did not know if anything shifted. He said he did not see any lumber fall. He said he did not see anything wrong before stopping. In other words, he stopped without proof of danger.
The company also claimed traffic blocked the right lane. They said the driver could not move over. But witnesses and police officers disagreed.
What the Investigation Revealed
Our legal team began searching for the truth. Stag Liuzza’s lawyers reviewed company records. They found serious problems. The company kept safety records for its drivers. Most drivers attended monthly safety meetings. The company wrote down who came and what they learned. But for this driver, the company had no records.
No papers showed he attended safety training. No documents showed he learned how to handle emergencies. No proof showed the company helped him improve.
A Pattern of Unsafe Driving
The company also tracked how drivers behaved on the road. These records showed this driver had a history of speeding. He often drove too fast. The company should have known this. But it did nothing.
Safety managers met with other drivers to discuss problems. They warned them. They coached them. They corrected them. They never met with this driver.
Dangerous Conditions on the Day of the Crash
This mattered because on the day of the crash, strong winds blew across the highway. The wind moved at 20 to 30 miles per hour. Driving fast with heavy lumber in strong wind is dangerous. The driver still sped. He later said he “felt a shift.” But his own choices caused that feeling.
Company leaders admitted that drivers should slow down in high winds. They admitted speeding could cause loss of control. They admitted it could put others in danger.
Conflicting Testimony
Under oath, the defendant admitted their professional drivers must get completely out of travel lanes when parking along the interstate and it was their job to protect the motoring public from the danger created by their truck parked in the roadway. Meanwhile, the driver’s supervisor (in charge of training) claimed the company had no duty to train employees how to protect the motoring public when parked along the interstate.
The driver also gave unclear and testimony conflicting with the company. For example, company managers testified that warning signs were available in the truck, but the driver said he didn’t know if there were triangles in the truck or not.
Case Resolution
The case settled for the insurance policy limits of $6 million during a break in the Defendant’s corporate deposition. Stag Liuzza injury lawyers are still pursuing further recovery from their client’s UM insurance carrier.
Counsel: Matthew Rogenes and Ashley Liuzza
Our Commitment
We fight to hold companies accountable.
We fight to protect people on the road.
We fight so that dangerous choices do not ruin more lives.
