A judge has affirmed a jury’s verdict which found two trucking companies and their drivers responsible for the road-rage-inspired fatal accident which took the life of an innocent driver. The decision means that a $26.5 million jury award will go to the family of the victim.
Utah-based Smoot Brothers and Indiana-based Horizon Transport both had truckers involved in the accident. The incident started on I-84 in Idaho when a Smoot Brothers driver and a Horizon Transport driver were pulling in front and brake checking each other, honking, speeding, and cutting each other off.
Over a distance of about 90 miles, two other Smoot Brothers drivers also became involved. Finally, on a stretch of Highway 20 West near Burns, Oregon, the road-rage came to a tragic end. When one of the Smoot Brothers trucks tried to pass the Horizon truck in a no-passing zone, the Horizon driver allegedly sped up and slowed down to keep the other man in the on-coming lane.
That’s when Sara Allison and her husband Matthew were coming around a bend in the road. With big rigs appearing suddenly, taking up both lanes, the Allisons car smashed straight into Smoot Brothers truck in their lane. Sara died from her wounds while Matthew was severely injured.
Matthew Allison sued both companies and won a negligence suit against them. The jury awarded a total of $26.5 million. However, before the decision, Allison had settled with Smoot Brothers for $900,000. This left Horizon Transport on the hook for $25 million of the verdict.
Since then, Horizon Transport asked the court to reconsider the case, arguing that the plaintiff’s lawyers had used a strategy called the “reptile theory.” This is the idea that jurors are encouraged to ‘send a message’ to companies by awarding victims huge amounts of money.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Sullivan didn’t buy Horizon’s argument however, and the $26.5 million verdict will stand.
Source: freightwaves, law360, truckersreport
Stupidity at is’t worst, but $26 million is way out of line!
unless it was your wife, I suppose. Hopefully we never find out
This is a very sad case and no amount of money makes it right or brings back Mrs. Allison. Should companies really have to pay $26 mil for even the dangerously stupid acts of employees who are violating laws and company policy? The drivers involved should be punished by the courts and the family of the deceased should receive compensation from insurance, but these “messages” are ridiculous. All these “messages” will do is force carriers to push for AI to take over. Nothing will push automation more than holding companies responsible for the acts of employees that are illegal and against company policy.
The suit is filed against those who can actually pay. The drivers are not ever going to have enough to even make a dent in the judgment. Every company is liable for the actions of their employees while working for the company. Same for those leased to a company running under their authority. The company has liability insurance coverage. Even if they don’t, the assets of the company can be confiscated and sold to meet the obligation.
If it was one of my loved ones, 26 million wouldn’t even come close to the pain, anguish, and loss of never being able to hold that loved one or have them in your physical life again. Too Much???? Each one of those drivers should do time for vehicular manslaughter plus whatever they own should go to the surviving member of that loved one.
Agree
what happened to the drivers. just stupidity , makes us all look stupid!!!
That’s what I’d like to know too Archie, it never said, they should do some time or something, course an attorney friend of mine always says there’s no law against stupidity, if there was we would need a lot more prisons
It will get appealed for years
They will pay about 20% of the original verdict
I’m saying though 90 miles?!?!?! Out of all of those drivers nobody said to themselves this has gone too far….. Let me back off?!?! 90 miles?!?!? THAT IS INSANE!!! Then have other drivers joining the fuc$ery. This is BEYOND my comprehension!!
Well said.
Absolutely correct!!!
Road rage isn’t sane. The key word is “rage.” Rage is blind anger that prevents rational thought. Thus the accident.
What were they thinking good grIef. Too many think its a game out here and people die because of it. So so tragic ; (
Hello. To trap a dangerous driver in a left no passing lane seems like an act of criminal mischievousness. That Horizon driver has mental illness. How he got it in today’s environment is easy. Praying they both get help.
Oh my God. No brains operating big rigs with egos. Unforgivable.
If they were real men they would just pull over and fight it out.
The common occurrence of road rage in todays times should be alarming. Governed trucks are a problem, yet the arrogance of the other drivers are a bigger problem. It’s just a bad situation all around and the three drivers of the big rigs just added another stereotype to the trucking industry and justified the cause for big pay outs for stupid behavior and disregard of the rules of the road.
Good thing g to remember next time you get pissed at a fellow driver. It’s not worth it!
These stupid drivers should pulled over and f….k each other up , not killed an innocent and leave a family with such a pain.
Because of few reckless drivers people they hate trucks and I don’t blame them
The truck drivers should be charged with murder and be locked up, to carry the road rage on for that length of time makes it premeditated. People with anger issues should not be allowed to drive a truck or car for that matter. I don’t let others get under my skin, let them go on and have their own bad day themselves, lifes to short to get involved in someone else’s bad hair day.
Years back a neighbor of mine was crushed in his car and killed by two trucks racing in a heavy down pour of rain . Both truckers died as well . All around horrible accident. The widow next door. Just gave up and was hospitalized for a very long time from the shock she was over come by when she received the news of her husband’s death. Even the dogs mourned the loss of their owner. And we’re so depressed they gave up and died. A sence less death due to two irresponsible truckers.
What is out of line is how Smoot got off the hook paying only under 1 mil, while Horizon is liable for 26 mil. And no amount of money will console the death of a spouse will it.