$3.3 Million Awarded To Distracted Driver Victim
A Texas man has been awarded over $3 million in damages after a truck accident. The Plaintiff, Thomas East, was driving his pickup truck when he was hit by driver David Henefield’s tractor-trailer, causing his pickup truck to flip.
The crash was determined to have been caused by a combination of the defendant’s inattention and negligence to control his speed. During the trial, the defendant admitted to following East’s car too closely and not watching his speed. Additionally, Henefield’s phone records showed that he made five calls in the fifteen minutes just before the collision, something which would have decreased his attention to his driving.
As a result of the crash, East suffered concussion, traumatic brain injury and several herniated disks. He also suffers from “post-concussion syndrome” which includes symptoms like severe mood swings, insomnia, anxiety, chronic headaches and vertigo. As a result of his injuries he has had to undergo years of physical therapy, and lumbar fusion surgery