GWC’s Joseph P. Sorce and Lawrence J. Amato have obtained a $2.5 million settlement for a union electrician who was injured in a tractor-trailer accident in McCook, IL.
Union Electrician Suffers “Crush Injury”
GWC’s client is a union electrician and a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 134, for nearly forty years. On the morning of October 16, 2015, he was leaving a waste management facility where he had just completed a job.
The client was driving westbound on Joliet Road when a large tractor-trailer heading eastbound made a sudden left-hand turn and smashed into the front left side of his vehicle. The force of the impact caved in the front of the vehicle’s side, and the client had to be pulled through the driver’s side window before being transported to an area hospital.
As a result of the incident, the client suffered a crush injury of his right foot and ankle. After first attempting conservative treatment, including physical therapy and injections, he ultimately had to undergo multiple surgeries, including two right ankle arthroscopies and a subtalar fusion with a local bone graft.
Despite this course of treatment, the client was unable to return to his work as a union electrician, which had been his profession for his entire adult life.
GWC’s Case Helped by Truck Driver’s Own Words
In seeking fair compensation for their client, Mr. Sorce and Mr. Amato filed suit against the tractor-trailer’s driver and his employer. The defense initially tried to argue that the client was responsible for the accident because “he changed lanes at a high rate of speed.” However, this argument was contradicted by the words of the truck driver himself.
“Not only was the driver issued a citation for failing to yield the right of way,” said Mr. Sorce, “but he also went on to plead guilty to the charge. He effectively admitted it was his responsibility to ensure that all oncoming traffic had cleared before making a left turn, especially since he was driving a 53-foot tractor-trailer.”
GWC’s case was also aided by Mr. Sorce’s expert work in a deposition he conducted with the driver. In sworn testimony, the driver of the tractor-trailer said, “I can see clear because I’m up higher in the truck” and “I think…I should have waited…for everybody to clear.” This gave GWC the opportunity to use a key defendant’s own words against the defense’s arguments.
Managing Partner Louis C. Cairo conducted the final negotiations, allowing GWC’s lawyers to keep up pressure on the defendants by fully preparing for trial up to the last minute, including by gathering evidentiary video testimony and readying numerous demonstrative exhibits.
As a result of the combined efforts of these attorneys, GWC was able to settle the union electrician’s case for $2,500,000.00 prior to trial.
Truck Accident Lawyers Who Can Overcome Defense Tactics
As you can see from the above matter, an insurance company representing the at-fault parties involved in a truck accident has a financial incentive to fight a wrongfully injured person every step of the way. The insurance carrier may try to minimize liability or even blame another party outright in order to reduce the amount of compensation it has to pay out, even in a clear-cut case in which the defendant ignored a legal duty to yield before making a left-hand turn. If you are ever faced with such shameless defense tactics, turn to the experienced Chicago truck accident attorneys at GWC Injury Lawyers.
With over $2 billion recovered in benefits and judgments in more than four decades in the business, GWC is one of the leading Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation law firms in Illinois. We know how to anticipate and respond to every insurance company argument because we have seen them all – and we have successfully overcome them to the benefit of thousands of clients.
Contact GWC today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our Chicago truck accident lawyers. Call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.
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