$5,470,000 Jury Verdict – Construction Site Dump Truck Accident
Shiver Hamilton Campbell’s client was killed in a tragic accident at an airport construction site in Atlanta that was entirely preventable. Our client worked as a spotter on the construction of the international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The project he was working on added a fifth, longer runway that would primarily be used for international flights. The cost of the runway was $1.28 million. The project was a massive undertaking involving multiple stakeholders, construction general contractors, dump truck vendors, and the City of Atlanta.
Fatal Construction Site Trucking Accident
Our client played a critical role in the day-to-day operations of the airport project. He worked for a general contractor that was excavating and grading the ground at the construction site. Our client’s job involved using flags to direct the dump trucks bringing in dirt for the new runway. The dump truck vendors were paid by the load and there was often a line of trucks waiting to off-load dirt. This sometimes created a tense situation because drivers were in a hurry to complete as many deliveries as possible.
Trucks on large construction sites must follow certain safety regulations and are not allowed to back up without a spotter’s signal. On the day of the accident, one truck driver did not want to wait and ignored critically important safety regulations by cutting in line and running over our client as he was turning and waving to get her attention.
Settling vs. Going to Trial in a Wrongful Death Claim
The wrongful death lawyers of Shiver Hamilton Campbell are always prepared to go to trial. They work to hold insurance companies and negligent corporate defendants accountable and fight for the compensation their clients are entitled to.
Shiver Hamilton Campbell represented the estate of our client and his minor children in a wrongful death lawsuit against the trucking company. Even though contractors involved in the project were required to carry $10 million of insurance coverage, the trucking company involved only carried only $1 million. This allowed Shiver Hamilton Campbell to also seek recovery from the City of Atlanta, as well as the joint venture of contracting companies that had run the airport construction project since they negligently allowed the trucking company to work without adequate insurance.
The defense argued that our client was negligent as well as their driver, which would have greatly reduced the amount of any verdict. Shiver Hamilton Campbell’s investigative team was able to clearly demonstrate that this was false. Witnesses to the accident testified at trial that multiple drivers in the line honked at the driver and that our client was wearing the proper safety attire which made him clearly visible. Testimony at trial also indicated that the driver was driving distractedly immediately before her truck hit our client and was even giving an obscene gesture to another truck driver. Our client was doing his job and was not negligent in any way.
The trucking company offered a settlement to avoid a trial, but the attorneys of Shiver Hamilton Campbell were confident they could achieve a significantly better result for our client’s estate. Despite the prospect of a significant financial settlement, our client’s family agreed to stay the course and allowed Shiver Hamilton Campbell to litigate the case.
How a Construction Site Accident Attorney Could Help Families of Victims
Shiver Hamilton Campbell strives to put grieving families on even ground with negligent businesses and insurance companies. Insurance companies representing companies after fatal truck accidents are fierce adversaries to the victim’s family. To protect themselves from liability, they immediately and aggressively begin gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and building a defense. Shiver Hamilton Campbell recognizes that families of people who have died in construction site accidents in Atlanta need fierce allies during the legal process to protect their rights while they are trying to work through their loss.
Shiver Hamilton Campbell brings sympathetic dedication to every wrongful death case. They do whatever is necessary to make sure the families of victims receive the justice they need and deserve. They do not settle a case until the families receive the compensation they need to recover from their financial and emotional loss. Clients often need guidance across a range of difficulties beyond their case. The skilled attorneys at Shiver Hamilton Campbell understand their clients deserve support and justice.
Results For the Families of Fatal Construction Accident Victims in Atlanta
The jury returned a wrongful death verdict of $5.47 million for our client’s estate. The verdict sent a powerful message to insurance companies and construction firms to do right by their employees, not to cut corners, and to provide safe working environments.
Our client’s family trusted Shiver Hamilton Campbell to achieve the best outcome for their wrongful death case. They trusted their attorneys in doing what is right, turning down settlements, and seeing the case all the way to trial.
