Jury Awards $7 Million to Victim of Semi-Truck Accident

A jury has awarded $7 million to the family of a man killed in a 2008 semi accident citing that a Kentucky trucking company was responsible for the fatal accident, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The jury found that the Dunaway Timber Company of Fordsville, Kentucky was ultimately responsible for the death of Roger Reagan. At the time of the September 2008 accident, a driver for the timber company, Morgan Quisenberry, was on shift 3 hours longer than regulations allow when he lost control of his vehicle and ran into two passenger vehicles before hitting the semi driven by Reagan.

Reagan managed to get out of the cab of his truck, but became trapped when it was engulfed in flames. It took rescue workers 20 minutes to reach him. He survived for about an hour, but later died of a heart attack.

The investigation into the accident revealed that Quisenberry lied to his employers about his driving record and failed to inform them that he had two previous DWI records, along with a previous accident involving hazardous materials. When truck accident lawyers are able to prove negligence, the victims of truck accidents will be able to seek compensation.

The jury found that Dunaway Timber Company was negligent in their hiring and supervisory practices, which are common reasons truck accident attorneys are able to win large lawsuits. Dunaway allowed Reagan to violate regulations put in place to avoid these tragedies.

Whenever a driver is allowed or encouraged to violate these rules, truck accident attorneys have sufficient ammunition to hold them financially accountable for their disregard to other driver’s safety.