Case at a glance
- Recovery: $1.21 Million Settlement
- Injury: Ankle, neck, collarbone, sternum and rib injuries
- Location: Liberty County, Texas
- Practice: Commercial truck crashes
- Attorney: Vuk Vujasinovic
The truck came from behind
On August 22, 2002, Peggy was driving on State Highway 321 in Liberty County, about a mile north of Dayton, Texas. She slowed her 1982 Oldsmobile Cutlass and stopped to make a left turn into a driveway.
A tractor-trailer owned by La Gloria Oil and Gas approached from the rear. The driver braked, and the truck began to roll. It struck Peggy’s car and rolled over its roof.
Multiple fractures and ankle surgery
The collision crushed Peggy’s right ankle. Surgeons repaired it with implanted hardware. She also fractured a vertebra in her neck, her collarbone and her sternum, along with four ribs.
Her injuries included a blood clot in her right leg and a hematoma. Her medical expenses reached approximately $120,000. The claim addressed the physical harm and treatment caused by the crash.
The defendants blamed Peggy’s stop
Vuk Vujasinovic represented Peggy in a negligence case against the driver and La Gloria Oil and Gas. Her claims focused on the truck driver’s speed, attention and response as he approached her stopped car. She also challenged the condition of the tractor-trailer’s brakes.
According to Vuk’s account of the case, the investigating DPS trooper cited the truck driver for speeding. That citation supported Peggy’s position that the truck approached too fast.
The defense disputed responsibility. It argued that Peggy stopped suddenly, did not signal her intended turn and failed to keep a proper lookout. The defendants also maintained that her brake lights were not working.
The dispute therefore involved both vehicles: how the truck was being driven and braked, and what warning its driver had that Peggy was stopping to turn. Vuk pursued Peggy’s claims against both the individual driver and the company that owned the truck.
A $1.21 million settlement at mediation
The case settled for $1.21 million at mediation. The settlement resolved Peggy’s claims arising from the rollover, including the ankle injury that required surgery and the multiple fractures she suffered when the truck rolled over her car.
Questions about the case
Related legal help
Learn about commercial truck crash claims, or read about another collision involving a company truck approaching from behind.
To speak with Vuk Vujasinovic about injuries in a truck crash, call 877-724-7800 for a free consultation.
Every case is different. Prior results depend on the facts of the individual case and do not guarantee a similar outcome.