The Clearman Law Firm Announces $8.6 Million Jury Verdict for Woman Injured in East Texas Tractor-Trailer Crash

PALESTINE, Texas, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- An Anderson County jury has issued an $8.6 million jury verdict on behalf of a Palestine woman who was severely injured when her car was struck by a defective and poorly maintained tractor-trailer rig driven by an unlicensed driver.

Jurors in District Judge Deborah Evans' 87th District Court issued the unanimous verdict late Tuesday for plaintiff Martha Michelle Gaines, finding that truck driver Kenneth Lee Woodworth and truck owner Benny Joe Adkinson, both of Longview, Texas, and Mr. Adkinson's business associate Joseph P. Pritchett of Corpus Christi were liable for the June 11, 2006, crash.

Ms. Gaines was represented by attorneys Scott M. Clearman and Brian D. Walsh of Houston's The Clearman Law Firm, Dick Swift of Palestine's Law Offices of Dick Swift, and Brad Rock Reagan of Austin.

Ms. Gaines was returning from visiting Hill College where she had received a soccer scholarship when her car was struck by the tractor-trailer that ran a red light while carrying oil field equipment on Loop 256 in Palestine. Evidence showed that the trailer's brakes were intentionally disabled, and that Mr. Woodworth's driver's license had been suspended for more than five years at the time of the crash. Investigators also reported dozens of vehicle safety violations.

"This was a horrific example of negligence on the part of the truck's driver and the joint enterprise involved in this operation," says Mr. Walsh, counsel for Ms. Gaines. "These individuals showed utter disregard for the safety of the driving public, and I hope this jury's unanimous verdict sends an important message."

Ms. Gaines suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries and spent 14 months recuperating in hospitals and rehabilitation centers.

"This jury's verdict is a strong affirmation for Michelle," says Mr. Swift. "This is the latest step in a complicated legal process that will bring some much-needed justice for Michelle. It's taken Michelle three and a half years for a jury to hear and decide her case. While she has not yet received this jury's award, we will not stop fighting on her behalf until she does."

For more information on the verdict, please contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or [email protected].

SOURCE The Clearman Law Firm