Austin personal injury attorney David Todd negotiated a $11,675,000 settlement for a Texas man seriously injured when another big rig driver crossed the center lane and hit his 18-wheeler truck.
AUSTIN, Texas, April 5, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The trucking industry has been warning about the consequences of a driver shortage for several years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problems caused by staffing issues. According to American Trucking Associations, a leading industry trade association, trucking companies in the United States experienced a record deficit of 80,000 CDL drivers in 2021.
Todd Law Firm has found that one consequence of the truck driver shortage is that companies are cutting corners when it comes to safety—putting everyone on the road at risk. In March 2022, the firm obtained an $11,675,000 settlement for a Texas man who suffered devastating injuries when a commercial driver with a known history of unsafe behavior fell asleep behind the wheel.
The accident occurred in December 2018 as the client was driving a tractor-trailer headed west in the outside lane of U.S. Highway 290 in Bastrop County, Texas. Another commercial driver operating a tractor-trailer headed east in the outside lane of U.S. Highway 290 crossed over into the westbound lanes after falling asleep behind the wheel.
The client suffered a traumatic brain injury and was left an incomplete quadriplegic. He also suffered hearing loss and permanent kidney damage. He will never be able to return to work as a CDL driver and will require lifelong medical care.
Although the initial settlement offer from the defendants was just $1,000,000, Austin personal injury attorney David Todd, along with his co-counsel Caj Boatright and Chad Gerke, continued to advocate for the client's needs as the result of his life-changing injuries. When a final agreement was reached, the client and his wife received $5,868,000 after $830,000 in medical liens, $307,000 in case expenses, and $4,670,000 in attorney fees.
"If current trends continue, the trucking industry could need more than 160,000 drivers by 2030," Todd said. "While the effects of this shortage could ripple throughout the supply chain, truck drivers, trucking companies, and shippers must not be allowed to put motorists at risk by flagrantly ignoring established safety precautions. Todd Law Firm is proud to hold bad actors accountable for their actions while serving injured Texans at their most vulnerable moments."
For more information about Todd Law Firm or to interview David Todd about the danger posed by trucking companies compensating for understaffing by ignoring federal safety regulations, visit http://www.davidtoddlaw.com or call 512-472-7799.
Case Number:
Pitts, et. al. v. Tellis, et. al., Cause No. 1130-21, 21st Judicial District, Bastrop County, Texas.
Media Contact
David Todd, Todd Law Firm, +1 512-472-7799, [email protected]
SOURCE Todd Law Firm
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