Sammie Pendergrass, 24, was driving on a highway when Franklin Burgess lost control of his tractor-trailer, crossed the median, and collided head-on with Pendergrass’s van.
Pendergrass was thrown from his vehicle into a ditch; he suffered blunt force trauma and other serious injuries.
He lost consciousness approximately 30 minutes after this crash and died of cardiac arrest the same day. He was survived by his parents and siblings.
Mr. Doe, a 36-year-old construction worker, was completing his first day at work at a town home construction site. He was standing next to a large flatbed truck, waiting for help to unload a crane when a commercial trash collection truck came around the corner and sideswiped the flatbed truck.
Mr. Doe was crushed between the two vehicles and suffered severe injuries to his right leg and foot, as well as rib and spinal fractures. Despite multiple foot and leg surgeries, Mr. Doe continued to suffer from chronic lymphedema and deformity. Mr. Doe’s medical expenses totaled almost $400,000.
Mr. Doe sued the truck driver’s corporate employer, alleging that it was liable for the driver’s choosing not to remain in his lane of traffic. Before trial, the parties settled for $1.25 million.
Steven Parker was an employee of Black Toppers Inc. when he was driving on Interstate 95 in a Black Toppers truck pulling a loaded flatbed trailer owned by Sam’s Paving. Parker lost control of his truck, which swerved to the right, and over-corrected, which led to him crashing through the highway’s guardrail.
Parker’s truck collided head-on with Carlos Mendez’s vehicle.
Mendez, 28, was killed in the crash. He was survived by his common-law spouse and five minor children. Mendez had been an electrician earning approximately $40,000 per year.
Jose Maclovio, an 18-year-old farmworker, was riding home in a van driven by Ramiro Tadeo-Lazaaro.
A vehicle driven by Craig Brewer rear-ended the van as it was stopped at a railroad crossing. Maclovio suffered a burst fracture at C5, which required an emergency surgery. Sadly, despite this treatment, Maclovio suffered partial quadriplegia.
He sued Tadeo-Lazaaro, Brewer and the van’s owner alleging negligent operation of the defendants’ vehicles.
Gina Sanderson, 48, drove her vehicle into an intersection where there was a two-way stop sign. Her car was struck from the side by a tractor-trailer driven by Philip Wright. He had run through the stop sign. Wright was an employee of Darling Ingredients Inc. Sanderson suffered a right leg tibia pilon fracture that involved the ankle as well. The injury required two surgeries. She now experiences chronic pain and has a collapsed arch and a foot and ankle deformity among other issues.
Sanderson, who is an autism consultant, is unable to continue working full time.
She sued Wright, alleging that he chose not to stop at a stop sign, failed to keep a proper lookout and did not yield the right-of-way. The lawsuit against Darling Ingredients alleged owner liability under state law.
Shane Denil was driving his Mazda Miata when his car was rear-ended by a box truck driven by Andrew Bassett. Denil suffered a concussion and herniations to his cervical and lumbar spine. He underwent cervical disk surgery, a lumbar radio frequency ablation, and a lumbar laminectomy, which resulted in medical expenses totaling $470,000.
He sued Bassett, alleging that he chose not to keep a proper lookout, which caused the rear-end crash. The lawsuit did not claim lost income.
The defendant argued that Denil had a pre-existing back and neck injury that was exasperated by this crash. However, before trial the parties settled for $1 million.
Tomasa Cuevas was traveling in her SUV with her two children, Alejandro, 16, and Maritza, 11. Amarjit Aulakh, an employee of Rai Transport Inc., drove his semi-tractor-trailer through a red light. This caused a T-bone collision with Cuevas’s vehicle.
Tomasa Cuevas, 42, suffered fractures to her skull and face as well as a traumatic brain injury. Alejandro, who was in the passenger seat, also suffered skull and facial fractures and a traumatic brain injury. Alejandro was a successful high school cross-country runner who may not be able to return to the sport. Maritza was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after this horrific crash.
Cuevas and for her children sued Rai Transport, alleging liability for Aulakh’s choosing not to obey a red light. The Cuevas family alleged that Aulakh had been involved in fourteen prior collisions and was driving with a suspended license at the time of this incident. The lawsuit did not claim lost income.
Donald Peace was driving to work in rainy conditions in the middle of the night. As he drove along a two-lane highway, Keith Rock attempted to back out onto a side street, blocking several lanes of the highway. Rock was driving a tractor-trailer for Berkeley Scrap Metal.
Peace’s vehicle crashed into the Berkeley Scrap Metal tractor-trailer that was blocking the street; he suffered fatal injuries. He was survived by his wife and two adult children.
The Peace estate and family sued Berkeley Scrap Metal, alleging liability for Rock’s choosing not to keep a proper lookout when backing onto the side street.
Sean McFly, a 29-year-old student at the University of Florida, was heading to class from a campus parking lot. As he was walking in the crosswalk, a truck driven by Billy Harrison, a University of Florida employee, hit him. He suffered cervical disk herniation at C5-6 and C6-7 that resulted in nerve damage to his hands.
McFly suffers ongoing pain and will require spinal fusion at a later date. His past medical expenses totaled $36,000.
McFly sued the University of Florida alleging liability for Harrison’s choosing not to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. McFly claimed that Harrison had been using his cell phone at the time of the incident. It was also alleged that Harrison failed to slow down before the impact.
Anthony Ellis, 21, was on a highway driving his motorcycle when he entered an intersection. Emily Trevino was driving in the opposite direction and waiting to make a turn. She turned left in front of Ellis.
Ellis’s motorcycle and Trevino’s car collided and Ellis was thrown into a ditch. He suffered multiple fractures, including to his finger, toes, arm and left knee. He was hospitalized and underwent surgery followed by a course of physical therapy.
Ellis had planned to join the military but is now unable to do so because of his injuries. His medical expenses approached $208,000 with his past lost income of $9,300. Ellis sued Trevino, alleging that she made an improper turn.
Kreisman Law Offices Professional Corporation