Late last month, a jury in Georgia awarded $280 million to the family of five people who were killed in an auto collision involving a truck driver for steel manufacturing company Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc.

Massive Settlement Awarded to Family of Five Deceased Victims

The family of five deceased victims filed the case against Schnitzer Steel following the fatal truck accident in July 2016. The trial lasted one week and the jury decided on the verdict after less than two hours of deliberations.

According to the results of the trial, the July 2016 crash was caused by commercial truck driver Kenneth C.’s negligence. According to the family of the deceased victims, Kenneth crossed the center line on U.S. Highway 80 in Alabama and collided head on with a vehicle containing 58 year old Judy M., her twin sister, her daughter, and her two grandchildren.

Kenneth claimed that he swerved out of his lane to avoid hitting a dog that had run across the road, but evidence submitted in the trial appeared to contradict this claim. Other evidence presented included braking skid marks from the car driven by the victims, but no braking marks from the truck. The victims also claim that Kenneth was tired and had only slept four or five hours the night before the crash.

Additionally, the lawsuit against Kenneth and Schnitzer Steel claims that the company knew that Kenneth was an unsafe driver who posed a danger, but failed to properly train or discipline him. According to CDL Life, the prosecutors claimed that Kenneth’s involvement in another dangerous truck accident only a few years prior was an indication of his lack of training and safety.

The trucking accident lawsuit was filed by Judy’s widower Larry M. and her daughter Anjanette T. The surviving family members were awarded $150 million in wrongful death damages, $30 million in damages for pain and suffering, and $100 million in punitive damages.

According to some reports, this award may be the biggest verdict ever awarded against a commercial trucking company. A previous $101 million verdict awarded in Texas in 2018 was previously thought to be the highest truck accident related award.

Schnitzer Steel has responded to the verdict by stating that the company plans to appeal the trial. The company also claims to have installed cameras in all of its vehicles in an attempt to ensure future safety.

Truck Accident Lawsuits

Victims and family members of victims who were injured or killed in truck accidents with commercial vehicles may be eligible to hire an attorney and pursue legal action against trucking companies and drivers.

Victims who file lawsuits against truckers and trucking companies may be able to collect compensation for injuries, pain and suffering, wrongful death, property or vehicle damage, medical expenses, and other costs associated with truck accidents.

The Five Dead in Truck Accident Case is Case No: SC17CV107, filed in the Muscogee County State Court of Georgia.