In Anne Arundel County, Maryland, a man who sustained serious injuries after he was hit by a cement-mixer truck in 2005 has been awarded $1.95 million. Robert L. Howard, a truck driver for Goodwill Industries, lost 70% use of his left arm and suffered severe post-traumatic stress disorder because of the catastrophic truck accident, which happened while he was working on his disabled motor vehicle on the shoulder of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. $1.83 million of the jury award for pain and suffering will be capped at $650,000, which was Maryland’s legal limit at the time of the truck crash.
The driver of the cement mixer truck was Richard Anthony Schulman, who left the crash scene. He later said that he did not know he had hit anyone until he read about the accident in the news. Schulman has an extensive criminal record, which includes convictions for theft and drug crimes.
Killed in the accident was Howard’s assistant, Errol Johnson, who was standing outside the truck with him. Schulman and Lafarge Mid-Atlantic reached a settlement agreement with Johnson’s family earlier this year.
Schulman was charged with leaving the scene and he pleaded guilty to one count of negligent driving. No criminal charges related to his truck striking the two men were filed against him.
Trucking Accidents
Truck drivers and trucking companies are upheld to a higher standards of care when driving on US roads. If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a truck collision, you may be entitled to personal injury recovery for your pain and suffering, as well as other damages. Even if the person or company responsible for your crash will not face criminal charges related to your injury accident, you can still hold them liable in civil court.
It is important that you work with a Maryland trucking accident law firm that is familiar with state and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations and knows how to negotiate settlements and win lawsuits against trucking companies.
Man struck by a truck awarded $1.95 million, BaltimoreSun.com, July 26, 2008
Jury awards driver struck by cement truck $1.95M, DailyRecord.com, July 24, 2008
Related Web Resource:
Rules and Regulations, FMCSA
Trucking Regulations and Guidelines, Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration
Maryland Personal Injury Law, Peoples-law.org