WAXAHACHIE, Texas - An Ellis County jury has awarded two Austin men $1.5 million as compensation for injuries they received in an 18-wheeler wreck two years ago, attorneys for Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei announced today.
Ronny Martinez, 37, and Kenneth O'Neal, 50, were driving northbound on Interstate 35E in Waxahachie on July 2, 2006, when a northbound 18-wheeler veered into their lane and came in contact with their car, causing it to roll several times. Mr. Martinez suffered a fractured vertebrae and Mr. O'Neal sustained a serious injury to his right knee, which required several reconstructive surgeries. Mr. O'Neal also suffered a mild traumatic brain injury and damage to his collarbone.
The men filed a personal injury lawsuit against Indianapolis, Ind.-based Celadon Trucking Services Inc. (NASDAQ:CLDN), which operated the tractor trailer, based on claims that the company was negligent in hiring the truck driver, Michael Wade, and that Wade was negligent in causing the crash. The jury award includes $750,000 for medical bills and another $750,000 for other actual damages such as pain and suffering, physical impairment and disfigurement.
"These two men were driving down the road, minding their own business, when the Celadon driver changed their lives forever," says attorney James Craig Orr, Jr. of Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei in Dallas, who along with attorney Luis Bartolomei represented Martinez and O'Neal. "The jury did the right thing here. This decision will help them put their lives back together, and we hope it serves as an important warning to other trucking companies to only hire qualified drivers and follow the rules of the road."
The trial was heard in Judge Gene Knize's 40th Judicial District Court in Waxahachie. Jurors deliberated for approximately four hours before returning their verdict.
The Law Offices of Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei is a Texas-based civil litigation firm representing businesses and individuals in matters involving personal injury claims, contract disputes, business torts, professional negligence and more.
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