$9M Settlement to Woman Hurt in Crash with a Distracted Truck Driver

A 44-year-old woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2015 when her vehicle was struck by a truck whose driver was distracted and falling asleep has reached a $9 million settlement with the company that owned the truck.

The plaintiff, Deanne Crews, alleged in her lawsuit against Advanced Drainage Systems that its driver, 71-year-old David Cole, was distracted and falling asleep as he drove in Logan Township, N.J., on Aug. 18, 2015, and veered his tractor-trailer head-on into her vehicle, according to a Sept. 29 story by The Legal Intelligencer.

The truck driver “had been drowsy and distracted by talking on his cellphone in the moments before the accident,” according to a plaintiff’s memo in the case. Advanced Drainage Systems distributes corrugated pipes.

The victim, who worked at the time of the crash as a phlebotomist, suffered a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures of a foot and an arm from the crash, according to her lawsuit. Her injuries required a month of hospitalization, followed by additional hospital stays for follow-up surgeries to remove hardware that had been left behind to aid the healing of her wrist and foot.

Crews’ lawsuit alleged that her injuries were permanent and that she could no longer take care of herself after the crash, requiring her to move in with her mother and grandmother for assistance.

Both parties agreed to the settlement on Sept. 27 in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. The defendants had previously contested the plaintiff’s claims that she had suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Photo credit: iStockphoto.com/courtneyk

These kinds of tragic legal cases occur every day when innocent victims are severely hurt or killed in vehicle crashes through no fault of their own due to the actions, inattentiveness or indifference of others. That’s why it is critical to have a legal team on your side that uncovers every fact to bolster your case and maximize your damage award.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in a vehicle incident or accident anywhere in the United States.

We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-(866) 352-4572 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

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