A Connecticut jury has awarded $7 million to the family of a state Department of Transportation (DOT) employee who was struck and killed by a semi-truck two years ago.
The Connecticut Law Tribune, a weekly legal news publication, reports that on March 22, 2012, the 41-year-old DOT supervisor had pulled over to the side of U.S. 8, parked on the right shoulder and switched on his emergency lights before exiting the state-owned vehicle. A tractor trailer traveling northbound on U.S. 8 at the same time suddenly veered out of the right lane and struck the man, inflicting fatal blunt-force trauma wounds. This incident prompted the victim's family to levy a wrongful death lawsuit against the truck driver and her employer, the Wisconsin trucking firm PTX Services of Plymouth.
"[The driver responsible] was charged with misconduct with a motor vehicle, a class D felony, as well as failure to drive in the proper lane, interfering with an officer and falsifying trucking documents," writes Christian Nolan for the Connecticut Law Tribune. "[The driver], according to court documents, pleaded guilty in August 2013 to misconduct with a motor vehicle and was sentenced to five years in prison, suspended after two years, along with three years of probation."
Now, 14 months later, a jury has ordered PTX Services to pay out $7.3 million in damages to the victim's family to compensate for their loss.
While no amount of money can ever really compensate for the loss of a loved one, parties responsible for such tragic incidents should be held accountable. If you believe you are entitled to filing a wrongful death claim, contact The Meyers Law Firm for an expert accident attorney that can assess your case and fight for any restitution you may be owed.