Dump Truck Accident Lead to $8.5 Million Settlement for Family of Slain Construction Worker

The family of a slain construction worker recently won their truck accident lawsuit to the tune of $8.5 million after a St. Paul dump truck accident back in 2022. According to the lawsuit, the driver of the dump truck tested positive for drugs and later tried to hide those results. The victim, a 61-year-old construction worker, was fatally struck by the dump truck at a construction site in downtown St. Paul.

The plaintiffs contended that their investigation revealed several serious failures on the part of the defendant. These included drug use by the driver of the truck, destruction of evidence, negligent drug testing, and failing other safety protocols. If the rules had been followed, the plaintiffs believe, their loved one would still be here. In addition to those failures, the plaintiffs also uncovered a spotter who was on his cell phone during the accident, a lack of training for the dump truck driver, and an improperly installed backup alarm. The dump truck driver further tested positive for cocaine and THC after the incident, telling his employer he would not pass the post-fatality drug test, according to the lawsuit.

Truck accidents and wrongful death lawsuits 

So many of these truck accident lawsuits turn into wrongful death lawsuits. In this case, the driver of the truck tested positive for drugs after he caused a fatal accident. The driver tested positive for both cocaine and THC. In addition, the plaintiffs uncovered numerous forms of systemic negligence that allowed the driver to be in control of the truck at the time of the accident. In essence, the trucking company failed to drug test the driver until after he had caused a fatal accident. Had they tested him beforehand, they could have possibly prevented this accident from occurring. So, the plaintiffs were able to argue that both the driver of the truck and his employer were negligent for this accident.

In this case, the defendants were accused of making several systemic errors in their safety training. The spotter was on his cell phone at the time of the accident. The driver of the truck lacked training and ultimately, he was under the influence of drugs when the accident occurred.

So, the plaintiffs had a smoking gun which drove up the value of their lawsuit against the dump truck company and their driver.

Talk to an Oakland, CA Truck Accident Lawyer Today 

The Oakland, CA truck accident attorneys at Venardi Zurada represent the interests of plaintiffs in lawsuits filed against negligent trucking companies. As you can see from the above article, often these trucking companies are supremely negligent for their conduct, cut corners, and this leads to fatal accidents. We serve the Bay Area from our office locations in Oakland and Walnut Creek. Call our office today to schedule an appointment and we can begin preparing your lawsuit right away.

Source:

fox9.com/news/2022-st-paul-construction-worker-death-settlement