Wrongful Death, Truck Accident
The decedent was a 47-year-old woman who slowed for traffic ahead of her on a metropolitan North Carolina highway. She was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer that was traveling at approximately 45 miles per hour and failed to reduce speed. Immediately after impact, both the tractor-trailer and the decedent’s car were engulfed in flames. There was conflicting evidence as to whether the decedent was conscious when the vehicle caught fire.
The decedent is survived by a husband and three adult children. She was not working at the time of the accident, but spent the majority of her time helping with the care of her grandchildren and family.
The plaintiffs created a detailed settlement documentary video demonstrating the impact of the loss of the decedent to her family. One of the terms of the settlement agreement requested by the defendant corporation was that the video could be used as a training tool to improve safety awareness in the tractor-trailer fleet.
The case was defended by an insurance company and a team of two defense lawyers. The settlement was reached in 2013 after filing suit, and after two separate mediated settlement conferences. The settlement amount was fully collectible.
The family hopes the video will help prevent similar tragedies in the future.