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Alabama jury rules against Daimler Truck NA in a $160M verdict for a truck driver injured due to alleged defective cab and seat design.
An Alabama jury awarded $160 million to truck driver Leonard Street, who was left an incomplete quadriplegic after a rollover crash involving his 2023 Western Star truck. The lawsuit claimed Daimler Truck North America's (DTNA) defective cab and seat designs, unchanged for decades, contributed to his injuries.
Leonard Street was hauling wood on Highway 84 near Grove Hill, Alabama, when a pickup truck forced him off the road. His 2023 Western Star truck rolled over, fracturing Street's neck and leaving him an incomplete quadriplegic. Street's legal team argued that Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) was at fault due to:
"Rollovers represent the single most harmful event for truck drivers," Street's lawyers stated.
They criticized DTNA for not improving cab strength in nearly 30 years despite this knowledge.
The breakdown of the verdict is as follows: $75 million to Leonard Street, $10 million to Street's wife (now his caregiver) and $75 million in punitive damages
Attorney Ben Baker hopes this case will "change the way trucks are made" and lead to stronger regulations for truck cabs and seats.
DTNA is expected to appeal the ruling.
Source: FOX 10 News | CDLLIFE | Beasley Allen
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