$1.6M Settlement for Truck Accident - Wrongful Death

$1.6 million awarded to a retired Kentucky couple in their 60s, struck by a semi near the border of Tennessee. This tragic accident involved a distracted trucker, not paying attention to electronic highway signs indicated “traffic up ahead”, that failed to slow from his 80 mph speed and careened into multiple stopped vehicles. Our clients were 2 of 5 parties injured during the impact, and sadly the trucking company only had $1 million of underlying coverage and $1 million of excess insurance, which was tendered almost immediately. At mediation, with the help of our local counsel, we argued that our client’s suffered the most severe injuries. The husband suffered a brain hemorrhage, a nasal fracture and a rib fracture. His wife suffered multiple injuries, causing her to slip into a coma at the scene, never regaining consciousness. She died shortly thereafter. The mediator awarded us $1.4 million of the $2 million policy limits. We were also able to obtain the uninsured motorist coverage on the vehicle they were traveling in, their own vehicle’s coverage, and a small homeowner’s policy, getting our clients an additional $300,000 which was still too little for this tragedy, but all that was available.