The Story:
On June 5, 2018, our client Eric was driving on Interstate 285 North in Fulton county on his way home from work. An 18-wheeler owned and driven by a large international trucking and logistics company was traveling in the lane to Eric’s right. Suddenly, the 18-wheeler started merging left into Eric’s lane, but Eric could not see the truck coming since his car was slightly ahead of it. The front of the 18-wheeler hit the passenger side of Eric’s car. Because both vehicles were driving at highway speed, the impact was severe and caused Eric’s car to spin in front of the 18-wheeler across multiple lanes of traffic. Fortunately for Eric, no other vehicles or trucks ran into him when he came to a rest, facing the opposite direction of traffic on Interstate 285.
Injuries from truck crashes can be serious, and Eric’s case was no different. Eric severely injured his back and neck in this crash. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital and shortly thereafter required injections in his spine and physical therapy. Unfortunately, conservative treatment and pain management did not resolve Eric’s pain in his neck and back. He had to undergo back surgery at his L4-5 vertebrae. After that, Eric required a significant amount of physical therapy.
In total, Eric had $106,000 in medical expenses and bills related to injuries he sustained in this crash.
Our investigation:
With every day, week, or month that passes after an injury, evidence starts to disappear or become unavailable. That is why as soon as Rafi Law Firm got Eric’s case, we started our investigation. We got the crash report, the dash camera footage, and body camera footage from the responding police officer. We also collected all of Eric’s medical bills and records. But, the trucking company denied that its driver did anything wrong. More, the trucking company would not give over any information they had about the crash unless Eric filed a lawsuit. So, we did.
When we file trucking cases, we request all sorts of information from the trucking company. Some of the information requested is about the company itself or its employees—its leadership, safety directors, personnel tasked with training drivers, etc. Other information is more specific to the crash itself—videos, reports, repair records, etc.
Rafi Law Firm specializes in trucking cases. Our institutional knowledge about the type of truck that hit Eric and the trucking company that owned and operated the truck certainly helped in Eric’s case. We knew that the truck which struck Eric was equipped with a dash camera and cabin camera. These cameras record video of the road in front of the truck and the cabin where the driver is sitting.
For months, Rafi Law Firm pressured the trucking company to turn over the videos despite their lawyers saying they did not exist. We told them we knew footage existed and told them where to look. When the trucking company looked, they found a video showing their driver was texting on his phone at the time of the crash. The video showed it was entirely the truck driver’s fault.
The Settlement:
Because of all the evidence gathered before filing a lawsuit and the pressure Rafi Law Firm placed on the trucking company to produce evidence that it did everything in its power to withhold, the trucking company asked to mediate Eric’s claims. Mediation is a formal settlement process where both parties—the injured plaintiff and the trucking company—sit together with a former judge or lawyer and negotiate a settlement by exchanging offers and demands. Through mediation, Rafi Law Firm settled Eric’s claims against the trucking company for $750,000.00.
We are proud of our work on Eric’s case and grateful he allowed us to work for him. If you have been injured in an accident with an 18-wheeler or tractor-trailer truck, call Rafi Law Firm today for a free consultation at 404-800-1156.
