$600,000 Settlement
Truck Driver Lies About Brake Failure
Car Accidents
The most troubling part of helping a client is often dealing with the blatant lie of a driver who chooses to not obey safety rules. In this case, the driver of a large moving truck chose to be distracted as he attempted to merge onto the Mississippi River Bridge in Port Allen. In doing so, he failed to see that congestion had brought traffic to a complete stop. His attention being elsewhere, he violently crashed into our client.
At impact, our client, a 44 year old married mother of three, was thrown backward and forward so hard that she had an immediate onset of extreme pain in her cervical spine. She knew something was seriously wrong and that she needed medical attention. As our client was being strapped onto a spine board and prepped for transport to an emergency room, the driver of the truck began to formulate a lie. He telephoned his employer and then reported to the State Police that his brakes had suddenly failed.
The two State Troopers investigating the crash conducted field testing on the brakes and could find no mechanical problems with the brakes. Despite his continued assertion that his brakes failed, the truck driver never called for a tow truck, nor did he ever call for any company mechanic. Rather, the driver drove the truck from the accident site, over the bridge, in “stop and go” traffic, and eventually back to his employer’s lot.
The harms and losses in our client’s life were substantial. Over the next year she underwent ten (10) invasive procedures and ultimately a two-level spinal fusion surgery. These injuries and the necessary medical care changed her life forever.
Rather than do the right thing, the insurance company attempted to hide behind the lie of its driver and asserted it was not responsible for the crash. Because of the lie, we were forced to file a lawsuit in order to ferret out the truth. Our attorneys worked diligently to gather evidence which showed there was nothing wrong with the brakes on the truck. This evidence supported the conclusions of the investigating State Troopers.
Ultimately, our attorneys were able to present such clear and convincing evidence to the Court that a pre-trial Judgment on liability was granted against the truck driver and his insurance company. Having no lie to hide behind, the insurance was forced to do the right thing.
At impact, our client, a 44 year old married mother of three, was thrown backward and forward so hard that she had an immediate onset of extreme pain in her cervical spine. She knew something was seriously wrong and that she needed medical attention. As our client was being strapped onto a spine board and prepped for transport to an emergency room, the driver of the truck began to formulate a lie. He telephoned his employer and then reported to the State Police that his brakes had suddenly failed.
The two State Troopers investigating the crash conducted field testing on the brakes and could find no mechanical problems with the brakes. Despite his continued assertion that his brakes failed, the truck driver never called for a tow truck, nor did he ever call for any company mechanic. Rather, the driver drove the truck from the accident site, over the bridge, in “stop and go” traffic, and eventually back to his employer’s lot.
The harms and losses in our client’s life were substantial. Over the next year she underwent ten (10) invasive procedures and ultimately a two-level spinal fusion surgery. These injuries and the necessary medical care changed her life forever.
Rather than do the right thing, the insurance company attempted to hide behind the lie of its driver and asserted it was not responsible for the crash. Because of the lie, we were forced to file a lawsuit in order to ferret out the truth. Our attorneys worked diligently to gather evidence which showed there was nothing wrong with the brakes on the truck. This evidence supported the conclusions of the investigating State Troopers.
Ultimately, our attorneys were able to present such clear and convincing evidence to the Court that a pre-trial Judgment on liability was granted against the truck driver and his insurance company. Having no lie to hide behind, the insurance was forced to do the right thing.