A jury has awarded $104 million in a wrongful death case against MVT Services LLC, a national trucking company, after one of its drivers crashed and killed El Pasoan Orlando Robles. The crash occurred on I-40 in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, when the truck’s driver, Juan Garcia, fell asleep while driving and crashed into a box truck with its emergency lights flashing on the shoulder.
Details of the Crash
The crash destroyed the sleeper compartment where Robles was sleeping, resulting in his death. The jury awarded $20 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages to Robles’ son. The case was represented by Tawney, Acosta and Chaparro P.C.
Alejandro Acosta III, one of the attorneys, cross-examined MVT’s national chief safety officer, who stated that company policies did not specifically require drivers to sleep before driving a commercial vehicle, saying ‘you don’t need sleep to rest.’ The verdict recognizes the tragedy should never have happened and holds those responsible accountable.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
