Can anyone refer a good attorney? Here is my story!

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Trish97697, Feb 21, 2013.

  1. Trish97697

    Trish97697 Bobtail Member

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    Feb 21, 2013
    Salt Lake City UT
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    I leased a truck in April 2012 from Horizon leasing. My first PM was due, and I was at a Travel Center in Southern Texas to get that done.
    When the mechanic completed the PM I went back out to my truck, and my truck would not start. The mechanic then asked me to go back to the drivers lounge to wait. Shortly there after the mechanic came back in and said the truck is running now. I asked him what had happened and he said that he forgot to prime the system.
    I delivered my load to Laredo TX, and picked up a load going to Washington State. Each and every time my second seat and I turned the engine off get fuel or take a break it was continually harder to get started.
    We made it to Olympia Washington...about an hour away from our delivery point. We were down for a few hours, we attempted to start the truck, she would turn over, but not crank over to start. We called road service, and I am unsure what he did...but he got us going to get to our delivery point and we were instructed to take it to Freightliner right after the delivery, which is what we did.
    We were at freightliner for approximately 4 days waiting for repair. Freightliner stated that when the TA in Texas replaced the fuel filter, that they did not do it correctly, and that the only way that they could fix it was to by pass the system. That is what they were instructed to do.
    I have driven the truck several thousand miles before another event happened.
    During a post trip inspection I noticed that the gear box was leaking. I was in Freightliner for two days to have that replaced.
    Then just two weeks ago I was in Meridian MS, just purchased fuel, and went and parked. I had a student that had been driving, and we needed to do a switch over so I could drive. I did my pretrip inspection and went to start the truck. Again...she would turn over, but not start. I had to call a tow truck, and get towed to Meridian MS Freightliner, where they determined that the injectors needed to be replaced. I was there for that repair for two days. We got back on the road, went just over 60 miles and the engine starts knocking extremely bad. I pulled the truck over, and called for a tow truck again. We got towed to Hattiesburg MS freightliner where I was down for 8 days. That Freightliner went over the truck with a fine tooth comb and stated that the injectors needed to be replaced again. That is what they did.
    We went a couple thousand more miles with no incident. I pulled into Weatherford TX to get fuel and once I pulled out of the fuel island, I got two engine lights and a fault stating Fuel Injector Pump. I contacted my road service department and they stated to take the truck to the nearest freightliner "now"! I brought the truck to the Fort Worth TX Freightliner and this is now my second day here and it is currently February 21st. I spoke to the mechanic "Lloyd" that is working on my truck and he states that after his diagnostics that Detroit Diesel will probably tell him to replace the injectors yet again. I asked him is Detroit Diesel having a rash of bad injectors being sent from the plant? And he said yes there had been.
    Over just the last 14 days...I have been down for 12 of those days. I have spent hundreds of dollars on covering the cost of hotel, and food...not to mention all of my down time.
    I believe the combination of what the TA did with the fuel filter in southern Texas, the repair that Freightliner did in Washington State and now a third set of injectors being replaced in my truck that have been faulty, I feel as though I have a rather large lawsuit. Please advise. Thank you!
     
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  3. mcgoo422000

    mcgoo422000 Medium Load Member

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    Mar 18, 2012
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    What's the amount of your damages? That's what will be asked by any attorney that may talk to you. Now if you's on welfare and had 8 worthless offspring then it'd be a million dollar case. But sadly in your's, you would be out of what freight money you lost and cost of expense.
    You may even contact detriot and ask for compensation and they may entertain it.
     
  4. Trish97697

    Trish97697 Bobtail Member

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    Feb 21, 2013
    Salt Lake City UT
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    Between cost of hotel, meals for me and my student, cost of down time...we are looking at about 12,000 right now.I have attempted to get a hold of Detroit with no response back. Do you have a contact name and number?
     
  5. 379exhd

    379exhd Road Train Member

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    Jun 25, 2012
    rolling through hell
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    A million dollar case hell man them are 2001 numbers now that obamas in the white house hed have a 10 million dollar case. Sadly driver calling detroit would be the best and fist option before getting a lawyer see if you can work something out with them first. If not call a lawyer and make sure you have proof of the repair cost, meals, hotel, lost wages, the static cost of operation for the 12 days you were down, etc etc. And make sure you get that mechanics name, contact info, etc as he can be a witness. Good luck driver!
     
  6. SL3406

    SL3406 Medium Load Member

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    Jan 10, 2011
    Oklahoma
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    So are you still driving it with the fuel filter being bypassed that was done by the Freightliner dealer in Washington?
     
  7. Trish97697

    Trish97697 Bobtail Member

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    Feb 21, 2013
    Salt Lake City UT
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    Yes that is correct. They said that they could not fix it.
     
  8. SL3406

    SL3406 Medium Load Member

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    Jan 10, 2011
    Oklahoma
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    Unless there is more than one fuel filter on your truck the filter being bypassed is likely the cause of injectors repeatedly failing. The fuel filter needs to be fixed immediately.
     
  9. Trish97697

    Trish97697 Bobtail Member

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    Feb 21, 2013
    Salt Lake City UT
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    I have a tripac filter on my truck as well, so the fuel would have gone through the fuel filter, then three other filters before going into the engine.
     
  10. JayTee

    JayTee Light Load Member

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    Feb 14, 2013
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    Sounds to me like you've been abused, and hard. Beyond having no idea how the shop in TX could mess up a filter housing, why would it take Freightliner in Olympia four days to bypass it? I agree with the other peeps that advise you to contact Detroit and let them know everything you've been through. They may determine there is liability on the dealer in Olympia as well, and most shops carry insurance for this sort of thing.

    I had a full service done at what was then the Petro-Lube in Lake Station IN one night a few years ago, made it 30 miles to the MI line and ran outta oil pressure as they didn't tighten the drain plug. Called them, they sent out a wrecker and 1st thing in the morning they had a new Penske rental waiting for me. They sent the truck to Cat and they installed a brand new crate motor, and none of it cost me a penny, so I would definately call Detroit and start the process.
     
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  11. 379exhd

    379exhd Road Train Member

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    3,149
    Jun 25, 2012
    rolling through hell
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    Hmmm what was that techs name. I want a brand new shiny crate motor for my truck.
     
    VisionLogistics and RedForeman Thank this.
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