A federal jury in Waco, Texas has awarded six million dollars in a truck accident case to a man critically injured when his motorcycle collided with a tractor-trailer in March 2006. The plaintiff lost four fingers on his left hand and can no longer walk without assistance because of injuries to his left leg.
The case most likely went to trial because there appears to be a meaningful defense on the question of liability. Plaintiff claimed he was changing lanes when the tractor-trailer struck him and knocked him off his motorcycle. Defendants argued that Plaintiff entered an entrance ramp and drove into the big rig.
Nine times out of ten, these he said/she said truck accident cases come down to who the jury believes. I’d be willing to bet that the trucking company’s insurance company would have offered a great deal more to settle the case if it had been a car instead of a motorcycle because jurors are so skeptical of motorcycle riders. But in this case, the insurance company and their truck accident lawyers bet wrong to the tune of $6 million.