200,000 Pound Super Load Kills Driver in Titus County
Feb 3, 2022
Brooks Schuelke, Esq.
Schuelke Law PLLC
Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) February 03, 2022 – The family of a woman killed in a collision with a truck carrying a 200,000-pound load, including a piece of military equipment – a propeller for a Navy submarine – has won their lawsuit against the trucking company carrying the oversized load and the escort service company.
The family was awarded $730 million in the 2016 death of the mother, which occurred on the White Oak bridge near Mount Pleasant. It is considered to be the single biggest wrongful death verdict for a single-person accident in the U.S.
The oversize load, referred to as a “Super-Load”, was carrying its cargo across the White Oak bridge. It was accompanied by a front and back pilot escort car to ensure safety on the road. The lead pilot escort car allegedly ran the woman’s car off the road as she was rounding a blind curve onto the small bridge. The woman saw that the tractor and its load were taking up most of her lane.
The tractor driver swerved his vehicle out of her lane, but the 16-foot-wide load could not move in time. The load hit the woman’s car, resulting in a violent burst of debris. The rear escort vehicle, with a dash camera, filmed the crash.
The attorneys handling the case indicated the verdict, delayed by Covid, would send a message to the escort and over-sized load industries that they would be held accountable for their actions when they valued money more than the safety of others while on the road.
“Accidents like this one are brutal and painful for the families involved,” said Austin wrongful death attorney, Brooks Schuelke, “and often, when a case is fully investigated, there are things found relating to the safety of the industry in question, and the safety of others while on Texas highways.”
Wrongful death lawsuits are not about revenge. They are about sending a message to others in the same or similar industries to adhere to their training, certifications, rules, and safety regulations and to drive with due care and attention for others. “It is the law. Drivers should expect no less than others taking care while driving, with or without a load. It is common courtesy to respect and watch out for others,” added Schuelke.
For those who have perished in a crash with an 18-wheeler, survivors are encouraged to reach out as soon as possible, to speak to an experienced Austin wrongful death attorney to find out what their legal options are and how to move forward to file a wrongful death claim.
Schuelke Law PLLC
3011 N. Lamar Blvd
Ste. 200
Austin, TX 78705
Call (512) 476-4944
View Larger Map
The post Legal News first appeared on Law Firm Newswire.
