Tragic TN truck accident

This tragic truck accident lawsuit involves two high school teenagers who were the victims of negligence by a trucking company, its driver and a gravel company. According to various news reports, then 16 year old Hernando High School students Ethan Bryant and Patrick Taylor were riding in Bryant's pickup truck in Southaven in August of 2006. A gravel truck suddenly hit the side of his truck – killing Taylor and putting Bryant in a coma for the next eight months.

Bryant was never the same after emerging from his coma. He had suffered permanent brain damage which left him incapable of living without 24-hour assistance from others. He sued the road paving trucking company (APAC-Tennessee, Inc.), its driver (Chad McCarty) and the company which loaded the gravel into the truck.

$30 million verdict

His Tennessee personal injury attorney was able to prove to the jury that APAC's driver (who separately pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault and was put on 15 years probation) was too inexperienced. The attorney was also able to prove that the truck had been overloaded with gravel – by 20,000 pounds. A jury found that APAC was 70% liable and McCarty and the gravel company should split the remaining 30% of liability. It awarded Bryant $30 million for his injuries – much of which will go to his care for the rest of his life.

Commercial trucking accident cases follow different rules

Trucking accidents involving commercial vehicles follow different rules than typical car accident cases. One of the biggest differences is that federal law requires drivers to record their driving information in structured driver's logs which may be used to show violations of Federal hours-of-service regulations, intentional illegal conduct and negligent conduct. The driver's qualifications, training, education, experience, traffic violations, physical attributes and mental status are also factors in commercial trucking accident cases.

An experienced truck accident attorney will be able to review your situation and determine what options may be available to you. However, each state has a different statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit, so it's best to seek legal advice sooner rather than later.