Tom Rhodes Law Firm P.C. Achieves $67,470,000 Verdict in Oilfield Service Truck Crash Case
Tom Rhodes Law Firm P.C. has just won a verdict of $67,470,000 for a client who was grievously injured in a traffic collision involving an oilfield service truck.
SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom Rhodes Law Firm P.C. has secured a $67,470,000 verdict for a 19-year-old client who was rendered a paraplegic in a highway crash involving an oilfield service truck.
Tried before a jury in Nueces County, Texas (2012CCV-62311-4), the case involved a difficult set of facts. The client was travelling as a passenger in a small truck driven by a friend. When the driver attempted a U-turn on a two-lane country road, they were struck by an oncoming van. The truck spun 270 degrees and came to a stop in the middle of the road, where it was struck again by an oilfield service truck at roughly 50 mph. The victim, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision, suffered a burst fracture of the spine and complete paralysis to the lower half of his body.
Although the driver of the client's vehicle accepted full responsibility for the accident (he was named a "responsible third party" in the suit), the oilfield service truck driver admitted to following the van in front of it too closely and too quickly at a speed of 68 mph.
Tom Rhodes Law Firm P.C. filed suit against the oilfield service driver and his employer for failing to ensure that drivers knew how to use the company's "3 second rule" when following other vehicles. In fact, not only did the driver not know what the rule meant, the company's Safety Director didn't either.
The company defended the case aggressively, arguing that the client's friend was at fault by virtue of making the U-turn, and that the client was at fault for not wearing his seatbelt. The company refused to offer a settlement before the case went to trial, and at the beginning of the trial only offered the client a settlement of $150,000. Since the estimated total value of the client's lifelong care exceeded $5.5 million, this number was obviously insufficient.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury unanimously determined that the oilfield service company and driver were 62% at fault in the accident, the driver of the client's vehicle was 30% responsible, and the client was 8% responsible. The client was awarded $34,240,000 in actual damages, and punitive damages totaling $33,250,000 were levied against the oilfield service company and driver.
The legal team at Tom Rhodes Law Firm P.C. is proud to have achieved this verdict on behalf of our client. This verdict is proof that "the best day in a lawyer's practice is when the truly deserving receive justice."
Tom Rhodes Law Firm P.C. is a premier San Antonio personal injury firm serving clients throughout Texas and across the U.S. Attorney Rhodes is one of two Board-Certified personal injury specialists at the firm and, together with his team, has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients in more than 20 states. To learn more about the firm and the many types of cases they accept, please visit their website at www.tomrhodeslawfirm.com.
SOURCE Tom Rhodes Law Firm P.C.
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