$160 Million Verdict Shines Spotlight on Heavy Truck Safety

When the unimaginable unfolds: Our attorneys secured a $160 million verdict after a defective design changed our client’s life forever.

What started as an ordinary workday for Leonard Wiley Street turned catastrophic when his heavy truck was forced off the road after an impact caused by a pick-up truck.

Street was operating a 2023 Western Star truck carrying wood products when the collision forced him off the road. This resulted in a rollover that fractured his neck due to the significant roof crush and the lack of an automatic pull-down safety seat in the cab, ultimately leaving him an incomplete quadriplegic.

 

The Verdict

After a two-week trial in the Circuit Court for Clarke County, Alabama, Ben Baker, Kendall Dunson, and Wyatt Montgomery, secured a $160 million verdict for Leonard Wiley Street, along with Co- Counsel Matt Drinkard and Eddie Massey.

Ben Baker stressed the importance of teamwork and how big of a part it played in presenting this case to the jury.

Daimler argued that a 360-degree rollover was too rare and too forceful for any structure to withstand. We countered by demonstrating that even a 180-degree rollover could be catastrophic due to the weak roof design.

This outcome not only provides justice for the Street family but also serves as a stark reminder of the importance of heavy truck safety.

 

DTNA’s Defective Design

The 2023 Western Star truck had a defective roof designed in 1995 that remained unchanged for nearly 30 years and a defective driver’s suspension seat. Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) and Western Star Trucks were found to have defectively designed and manufactured the truck.

These defects caused Street’s injuries. DTNA had an automatic pull-down seat for rollover safety but refused to make it a standard feature.

Rollovers represent the single most harmful event for truck drivers, and DTNA failed to increase cab strength for nearly 30 years despite having this knowledge.

This should have never happened, but we hope this verdict will send a message to all heavy truck manufacturers that driver safety should always come first.