$212,000 Truck Crash Settlement
Our office was able to get a great settlement for our client Matthew, an over-the-road truck driver.
Two-Truck Crash
Matt was driving out of state in Texas when this crash occurred. Another tractor-trailer did not secure his trailer load which caused a jack that weighted approximately 200 pounds to fall off.
Matt was following in his rig and hit the jack with his tractor. This destroyed his steering axel and he could not control his truck. Matt did the best he could in a truly emergent situation. His tractor-trailer traveled across the highway, into the center median, and through the cabal barrier. Although he did strike one other vehicle, he was able to stop his truck in the center median and avoided catastrophic injury to others.
But, during the incident, a metal bar from under the truck broke through the floorboard into Matt’s foot. Matthew was transported via ambulance to the emergency room where he required substantial medical care. Due to the severity of his injuries and a higher level of care needed, it was determined that Matthew needed to be transferred to a different hospital for surgery. Doctors operated on him and he was discharged after 7 days and was able to return to Missouri.
Matt did a great job documenting the crash scene. Here’s a picture of the metal bar that went into his foot.
Personal Injury and Workers’ Comp Claims
Since Matthew was working at the time of this accident, he had not only a civil claim but also a worker’s compensation claim. but because the accident happened in Texas and Matthew’s employer is in Indiana and Matthew lives in Missouri, his workers’ compensation claim was in Indiana. Our office obtained worker’s compensation lawyers in Indiana to help get Matthew the treatment and benefits he needed during his recovery.
Once Matthew was released from treatment and settled his workers’ compensation claim, our office was able to proceed with the civil claim against the at-fault trucking company and driver. We usually try to resolve the comp claim before the civil claim for lien purposes.
Burger Law Settles the Case
We were able to settle the civil claim for Matthew for $212,500. However, since Matthew had a worker’s compensation claim, there was a lien on the civil claim for the benefits paid for Matthew’s weekly benefit payment while he was off work and the medical bills paid through the workers’ compensation claim. Our office was able to get a 50% reduction on that lien to ensure that our client received the most money possible in his pocket for the injuries and suffering he sustained in this accident.
Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers are always happy to help truck driver clients as well as clients who are in accidents out of state. It’s good to be able to help Matt navigate the different claims and legal hurdles. For help with your personal injury case or to discuss your case for free, call us at 314-542-2222 or reach out here.
