Werner hit with $90 million dollar verdict

What about the tire company that made it possible for the truck manufacturer to build a truck that could haul a product that a consumer needed!!??? What if this all came down to someone needing a light bulb delivered next day!!??? This is madness but admittedly I didn't even read the original story so what do I know!?

 

I agree with the sentiment, but in reality counter sueing in this situation is a lose lose. Chances are they have only the state minimum required insurance so it would actually cost more to sue than they could get. Plus the headlines would all read mega corporation sues single mother after killing her child and paralyzing the other. And then the dollar General boycott campaigns start because the use werner as a carrier which can result in dollar general getting a different carrier. There is just no upside to it, only down side.

 

You have a point, but to ignore the liability these people have to repay for the damages they cause to Werner only enables the next fool to cause a wreck and sue the person they hit. Got to nip that sort of behavior in the bud...set the precedent that when you cause a wreck, you don't get a payday...and if you seek one, you'll be financially ruined yourself when all is said & done.

 

According to court documents, the collision occurred on I-20 in Texas during freezing rain and black ice conditions. Every state’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) manual instructs 18-wheeler drivers to slow to a crawl and get off the road during icy conditions. Shiraz Ali, the Werner student truck driver in this case, did not get off the interstate. Instead, Ali averaged in excess of 60 mph for the 52 miles he was driving in icy conditions prior to the crash, and was traveling over 50 mph seconds prior to the collision. It was undisputed that had Ali complied with the CDL manual the crash would not have occurred.




I had never heard of such a thing. Is it a relatively new rule. USA midwest almost has a black ice season.
I run express linehaul in Canada and have never pulled over due to road/weather conditions. Others get off the road clearing my play field.

 

Wouldn't have saved a thing in this case.
This was a witch hunt.
Werner was actually innocent.
When a pmv can lose control, cross the median through the barriers and strike a legal truck that STILL maintains control... and is awarded $90m...
We're doomed as a society.

 

This just doesn't even compute to me how a jury can come to this decision.

I understand there will be massive medical bills for many years to come, but why would they choose to punish the innocent party ?
Because he was there !

Notice in the wire article that bashes Werner and it's training practices (ok).. the major fact that vehicle 1 lost control and crossed the median was ommitted for empathetic effect.
HOW CONVENIENT.

 

We actually carried a small amount of Civil Insurance on top of our regular insurance for cars etc. I think it was one million for 14 dollars a month. We had a policy when I became a concealed gun owner. If a bad guy matching valid threat etc was gunned down and threat stopped by me inside my home or at walmart etc that bag guy's family will sue me. Judgements in Arkansas after such suits average 50K to 500K roughly.

I have been sued twice formally in Court after taking out two cars with people inside of them. I would have loved to have had that civil protection policy in those days. One got laughed out of court for being revealed to take advantage of his ow to drug doctor shop and the other reached a settlement for a replacement car after a letter from me to the presiding judge explaining my losses resulting from not being hireable anymore and frankly you cannot get blood out of a turlip. The ruling was insurance was to buy her a nice new car and be done with it plus a little bit of money for her trouble. And that was that.

This was before 1991. And that one accident which literally was a lane change whoopsie in DC among other things cost me a 45 dollar ticket and 3 years lost income. I cannot imagine what that would come out to in today's money. Probably about 120K total roughly. That would have bought that old gal a rolls royce.

As far as the werner judgement... well.. it is what it is. They can always appeal it on something.

Just the other day I ran all my phone numbers off the do not call list for Dish to see if I earned a 1200 dollar payout per call against the do not call list by Dish telemarkerters. 18400 people in Arkansas with phone numbers will be paid a minimum of 1200 each with several awards approaching 20000 dollars based on number of calls made against the do not call list after that particular suit got settled against Dish in court. The telemarketing company hired by them to make calls no longer exist because 61 million to pay out is a awful lot of money. Serves em right.

I changed numbers 4 times already due to telemarketers breaching my do not call list. And if they continue to do so I will continue to add software apps and change numbers until those silly calls stop.

Or pay me. Im suing. Or more exactly FCC is suing.

Anyway.

I recognize that there is a potential for suits against larger trucking companies for a variety of problems in money and situations like accidents. The courts are just going to have to reach whatever verdict, judgement etc that they reach. I hope that the affected trucking company has a big enough wallet and get over this and move forward.

And not just that but also learn some lessons and don't do that situation again and get sued again and again and again. It's silly and wasteful. Why stay in business if werner is that stupid? Close it all up, go open a flower shop or something peaceful where it's impossible to screw up a simple delivery order.

 

I'm curious. Let's say there was a rest area right there and the Werner truck was parked there, brakes set, etc, and bottle blonde soccer mom did the whole drive too fast for existing road conditions and lost control crosses the median through barriers and hit the parked truck?

Still the same case?

Because really, it is the same. The Werner driver wasn't negligent, not even contributorily. The only thing the truck driver did to contribute to this collision was to be in the wrong place at the right time.

It's nuts.

 

So when I start training on Wednesday for 3 weeks and if we run into really bad weather am I supposed to tell my trainer I have to pull off the road??

 

Werner sucks as a company, as any that does not provide an APU or allow idle. As well as supply refrigerators for their OTR drivers.
You are just meat in the seat to them.
However, this lawsuit should’ve never seen the light of day. I hope the driver countersues the others family. The lawyer is scum. So are the jurors.