$1.4 Million Truck Accident Settlement For Death of Girl’s Father

Recently, a truck accident settlement was obtained on behalf of a 2-year-old girl for the death of her father.  Her father was 27-years-old at the time.  He was driving down the road when a tractor-trailer truck pulled out of a driveway and caused the collision.  The defense claimed that the young man was to blame for causing the wreck.  They said he was speeding.  Ultimately, however, they settled the case for $1.4 million.

First, my heart goes out to this young girl.  She is listed as the sole survivor.  Thus, I assume that there were no other siblings and no spouse.  I can only hope that she has a very strong family around her that will raise and love her.

From a legal perspective, the case was brought on a wrongful death theory.  In wrongful death cases, the claim is not brought on behalf of the person who died (the decedent), but by a surviving family member.  In cases of young children, the amount of the truck accident settlement should take into count, not only the loss of a mother or father, but also the loss of financial support until adulthood.  This generally requires expert witnesses such as an economist and possibly a vocational expert.

In this case, I can only assume that there might be some truth to the defense’s argument that the young man was speeding.  The defense could have used this as leverage to lower the settlement amount.  The only reason I assume this is because, on its face, $1.4 million for a 2-year-old girl who lost her father seems small.  However, there are many facets that determine each truck accident settlement.  These can include other extraneous facts such as the venue of the case.

Joshua P. Myers is a St. Louis, Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer.  Handling cases throughout all of Missouri & Illinois, our firm strives to be the best truck accident lawyer for your case.  If you would like to speak with a premier truck accident lawyer regarding a case, feel free to call Josh Myers toll-free at 877-783-8757.  It’s always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fee until and unless we recover on your behalf.