A 2008 crash caused by an 18-wheeler that left three people dead, led to a guilty plea from the driver facing second-degree manslaughter. The truck driver admitted that he was reaching for cell phone when he slammed into several cars in front of him.
As a result of the plea bargain the truck driver, Jeffrey Knight, will not spend additional time in jail. The truck driver was given one year in jail but was given credit for time served prior to the plea bargain and therefore will not serve any additional time.
In Texas and across the county, people are rightfully becoming more demanding of commercial drivers and less tolerant of their dangerous behavior.
Not only are criminal sanctions being sought but in a truck collision when conduct endangers others, punitive damages are appropriate. When some one takes control of an 80,000 pound vehicle, he needs to be paying complete attention to the small defenseless vehicles around him. I have seen the tragic results of distracted 18-wheeler drivers all too often.
Many people believe that if a driver is charged criminally, it will hurt their chances for civil recoveries. This is not the case. In fact, convictions or guilty pleas like this can strengthen your injury case against the driver and the company that hired them.
If you or a loved one has been in a wreck involving an 18-wheeler, please call me at 817-885-8000 to discuss your case. My firm only handles car and truck wrecks, and I know how to handle these difficult cases. The sooner you call, the sooner I can start helping you get the help and the money you deserve. I have recovered millions of dollars for my clients hurt in wrecks caused by 18-wheeler drivers. Click here to read about the $5.5 million dollar recovery I got for two of my clients.