MESSA & ASSOCIATES, P.C.
ATTORNEYS AT LAW

$885,000 Settlement for a Trucking Accident

November 2010 – $885,000 settlement for a trucking accident, which resulted in multiple serious injuries. The plaintiff was driving on the New Jersey Turnpike at night, during a rainstorm and decided to pull onto the shoulder until the storm letup.

Unbeknownst to her, one of the defendants had pulled his tractor-trailer onto the shoulder to sleep. He left his parking lights illuminated, but did not use his flashers, flares, reflectors, triangles, or any other means to signal his presence to other motorists. As the plaintiff pulled onto the shoulder, she could not see the truck in the rain, crashed into the rear of the parked vehicle, and became stuck underneath.

After feeling the impact, the truck driver awoke and pulled back out onto the Turnpike. Meanwhile, the second defendant stopped his tractor-trailer truck in the lane of travel to tell the other defendant a car was stuck underneath his trailer. The second truck’s tire impacted the car, causing the plaintiff’s vehicle to dislodge. She was trapped in the smashed car, manually extricated with the Jaws of Life, and rushed to the hospital. The plaintiff underwent surgery to repair a leg fracture by implanting a rod and suffered a closed head injury. She has undergone treatments but suffered leg infections and lasting neurological injury.

For more information regarding the settlement, please contact Tina Lumbis at 1-877 MESSALAW or TLumbis@messalaw.com.