A man has been awarded almost $1.4 million after his van was hit by a tractor-trailer  October 17, 2008.  He had been offered to settle the case for $350,000, but he refused.

David Brasington was driving a commercial van towards an intersection when the truck suddenly pulled onto the road according to Brasington’s attorneys. The defense claimed that Brasington had moved into the right-hand turn lane after the truck had entered the road.

A witness agreed that Brasington had moved, but a police investigation said that he was not in the turn lane.

After three days of trial, the jury awarded Brasington $1,733,184.  $1.16 million was for the pain and suffering.  The jury found that Brasington was also partly at fault and so the jury reduced the amount to $1,386,548.  The truck was driven for Horizon Tank Lines, and the company said they will not appeal.

Brasington suffered many injuries including a fractured femur, broken pelvis, broken ribs, fractured elbow, and a lacerated liver.  He showed signs of having difficulty walking and was out of work for over half a year.  He still has a few more surgeries to undergo.

Reckless truck drivers are becoming very dangerous on American roads.

Tractor-trailer drivers are often preoccupied while driving.  For example, drivers talk on their radios with other drivers, drive long hours, eat on the road to save time, and some take illegal drugs while driving.  With all of these activities going on while drivers are trying to pay attention to the road, it makes an ideal situation for an accident.

One instance of an accident of this nature occurred when a tractor-trailer drove into the back of a vehicle, which caused a chain reaction.  The accident happened in a construction zone.

A 1994 Toyota was stopped in a construction zone when the truck plowed into its back end.  The Toyota then hit a 2003 Toyota, a 2008 Chrysler, and a 1999 Ford pickup.  Seven people were injured including the truck driver.

This is just one example of a truck driver not paying attention and injuring innocent people.  The example was made even worse since it was in a construction zone when fines are doubled and accidents are looked at much harsher.  People need to be aware of all drivers including truck drivers.  An accident can happen at any time.

A Bryan, Texas woman was killed last week when she lost control of her vehicle and ended up in the path of an on-coming 18-wheeler.

According to a story published on the Navasota Examiner’s website Nickie Lynn Pittman of Bryan, 38, was on her way to teach an English class at Montgomery College early Friday morning. Her car was cut in half by the impact and she was delcared dead at the scene.

Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper James Gonzales of Hempstead told Examiner reporters that Pittman was traveling eastbound on S.H. 105, when the 1997 Ford Escort she was driving veered slightly off the roadway and lost control of the vehicle for an unknown reason.

The Escort went into a sideways skid and ended up in the westbound lane, where it was struck on the right side by the oncoming W W Webber truck driven by Alfredo Carraman of Houston, 58. The car was cut in half as its back half was dragged underneath the one-ton that landed in a ditch on the north side of the roadway.