Maricopa County Jury Awards $19.25M in Fatal Truck Collision

On July 19, 2011, a driver operating a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado experienced a tread/belt separation on a tire, leading to a loss of vehicle control. The Silverado then collided with the rear of a disabled tractor-trailer that was parked on the side of a roadway in Maricopa County, Arizona, with its hazard lights flashing. The tractor-trailer driver was employed by a Landstar BCO. The collision resulted in the fatality of the Silverado driver and serious injuries to three passengers. A fourth passenger was uninjured.

In July 2013, the deceased driver's family and the injured passengers filed a wrongful death and personal injury lawsuit in Arizona Superior Court for Maricopa County. The initial complaint named Michelin North America, Inc., Discount Tire Co., Inc., Landstar System, Inc., and Hyundai Translead, Inc. as defendants. Claims included strict liability, product liability, negligence, and punitive damages.

During pre-trial proceedings, the court granted a joint motion to dismiss the claims against the tire manufacturer and the tire installer. Subsequently, the court also granted the plaintiffs' motion to dismiss the claims against the trailer manufacturer. With only the trucking company, Landstar System, Inc., remaining as a defendant, the case proceeded to a jury trial. Landstar had previously tendered a $1,000,000 offer of judgment, which the plaintiffs declined. At trial, disputes included the safety of the trucking company's parking, the design of the trailer, the condition of the tire, and the Silverado driver's potential negligence due to cellphone use. On March 13, 2015, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding a total of $19,250,000 in damages. This included $10,250,000 for wrongful death and $9,000,000 for the personal injuries sustained by the passengers.