California Injury Blog
By: Staff Writer
Last week, a federal jury in Waco, Texas, awarded $6 million to a man who lost four fingers and suffered major injuries to his left leg after his motorcycle collided with an 18-wheeler. According to an article in the Waco Tribune, jurors deliberated for nearly three years before deciding that a Tennessee-based trucking company was liable because truck driver, Julie Renee Collins, was at fault in the big rig accident.
According to the article, Walter Browning was riding his 2003 Honda Shadow on Interstate 35, when Collins reportedly changed lanes hitting Browning and knocking him off the motorcycle. The jury did not buy the defense argument that Browning entered an entrance ramp and “drove directly into the tractor trailer”. Both the plaintiff and defendant’s attorneys hired accident reconstruction experts, each of whom painted a different picture for the jury and gave their own versions of how the accident may have happened.
The plaintiff’s attorney obviously pleased with the jury’s decision, said he was grateful to the jury for ignoring the trooper’s citation to Browning, which did not take into account Browning’s version of how the accident happened. The trooper apparently heard only the truck driver’s point of view. Attorneys for the trucking firm on the other hand argued that the physical evidence at the accident scene was inconclusive. Browning, a 13-year Army veteran needs help to walk. According to the newspaper article, the jury awarded him damages for “future physical injuries, disfigurement, physical impairment and medical expenses.”
Motorcyclists are very much in danger while driving around big-rigs especially on the freeway. Because of the high speed, bad visibility and lack of reaction time on the freeway, motorcyclists end up seriously injured when they are hit or even clipped by a large truck. In this case, it appears that the jury has made the right decision although it is tough when two sides present completely different stories with their own accident reconstruction experts. We hope the money Mr. Browning received will help him recuperate from the injuries he suffered and help pay the mounting medical bills, providing him with some sort of financial security for the future.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, motorcycle accident or an accident involving a big rig, call Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys for a free consultation. We specialize in these types of cases and know exactly what it takes to get our clients the compensation they rightfully deserve.