KNR Settlement of Wrongful Death Case Leads to Safer Trucking Practices

Late last week, KNR attorneys John J. Reagan and Kristen M. Lewis successfully resolved a wrongful death lawsuit arising from a January 2012 tractor-trailer/auto crash which tragically claimed the lives of a retired, married couple living in Doylestown, Ohio. The case was scheduled for trial before Judge Amy Corrigall Jones of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas later this month.

The crash occurred when the tractor-trailer driver tried to pass the couple left of center on a two lane road as the couple was turning left at an intersection. The driver and his employer denied all responsibility for the crash. During the course of the lawsuit, Attorneys Reagan and Lewis learned that the driver had intentionally falsified his logbooks to conceal his unsafe driving practices, and that his employer failed to provide the driver with necessary safety training or review his logbooks to verify his compliance with state and federal safety regulations.

In addition to obtaining a substantial recovery for the surviving family members, the trucking company agreed to a unique condition of the settlement: to commit additional funds annually to driver safety training and regulation compliance monitoring. “No amount of money will bring this couple back, but for the family to know the roads throughout Ohio may be safer as a result of the accident, means the world to them,” says Reagan. “As tragic as this loss was for this family, the case was about more than one accident and two lost lives. This case involved a company with over 200 trucks on the road every day and a driver who was not properly trained or supervised. The fact that the trucking company ultimately stepped up and committed to stricter training standards is extremely important.”

The successful resolution of this matter is yet another example of KNR’s litigation experience in trucking, auto and wrongful death cases, but more importantly, demonstrates the commitment and dedication of the KNR lawyers to keep roads safe in our community.

For more information about the experienced attorneys at KNR, or if you or someone you know could be the victim of an auto accident, contact Kisling, Nestico & Redick at 1-800-HURT-NOW or KNRlegal.com.