Two passengers were seriously injured in a car accident in 2010 after a dump truck allegedly cut in front of the vehicle in which the two were riding. Both individuals filed personal injury suits in an Ohio civil court. Collectively, they were recently awarded $42 million for damages they suffered in the car accident.
On November 14, 2014, the two persons, along with a third individual, were passengers in a car driven by a fourth person. The male plaintiff was sitting in the front passenger seat, and the female plaintiff was seated behind him. While they were driving down the road, a dump truck came up and cut their vehicle off, which caused the serious accident. The majority of the damage was on the right side of the vehicle.
The two initially named the driver of the vehicle as the defendant in the suit, and he pleaded guilty to negligent assault in 2011 in relation to the accident. However, the jury exonerated him in the civil case, putting the blame on the dump truck driver. Both the male and female plaintiff suffered brain damage and have lost sight in their right eyes. The male plaintiff also has reduced functionality, and he must use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
The male plaintiff was awarded $34.6 million in the Ohio personal injury suit, and the female was awarded $7.8 million. The verdict is likely one of the largest recorded in Cuyahoga County. While not every suit will be awarded such substantial damages, if a person is injured in a car accident due to another person’s negligent behavior, that person is entitled to file a personal injury suit and seek damages for their injuries.
Source: cleveland.com, “Jury awards $42 million verdict to victims of 2010 crash“, John Caniglia, Oct. 1, 2014