Case Study:
Wrongful Death Settlement for Rear-End Truck Crash

Case Overview

We represented the surviving family of a commercial driver who was killed in a collision involving two Mississippi-based motor carriers operating regional freight routes across the Southeast.

Both companies managed tractor-trailer fleets engaged in interstate commerce, hauling mixed general freight, agricultural products, and regional distribution loads. Although not national mega-fleets, they maintained full FMCSA authority, dispatched drivers across multiple states, and were responsible for meeting federal safety standards.

The case involved the unsafe operation of a disabled commercial vehicle on an active highway and resulted in confidential resolutions and mandatory changes to the company’s training and operating policies.

The Incident

The collision occurred when one of the motor carriers attempted to continue operating a disabled tractor on a high-speed roadway. The 18-wheeler could not shift out of third gear and was limited to approximately 18 to 24 miles per hour, if not slower.

Operating a heavy commercial vehicle at such low speeds on an active highway creates a serious hazard for approaching traffic and violates minimum-speed requirements. Despite these risks, the disabled truck remained in service on the roadway.

Our client ultimately rear-ended the slow-moving tractor-trailer. The investigation showed that the commercial vehicle’s dangerously low speed, lack of hazard awareness, and improper decision to remain in traffic created conditions where even an attentive driver could not avoid impact.

Key Legal Challenges

Two separate motor carriers were involved, each with different operational responsibilities and exposure. Establishing liability required demonstrating how the conduct and practices of both companies contributed to the unsafe conditions.

Because the collision involved a rear-end impact, the defense initially focused on placing blame on our client. Overcoming this required clear evidence that the disabled vehicle’s operation created an unavoidable hazard on a high-speed highway.

How Giddens Law Firm Built the Case

Our 18-wheeler accident attorneys conducted a detailed investigation into the crash and the carriers’ operational practices. We developed a data-driven analysis showing how operating a disabled tractor at extremely low speeds violated basic commercial-vehicle safety standards and foreseeably placed other drivers at risk.

We also examined the companies’ internal policies, training procedures, and safety-management practices. This review revealed failures in decision-making and oversight that allowed a disabled vehicle to remain in active traffic.

Through this work, we demonstrated that the collision was the result of preventable operational failures rather than driver inattention.

The Result

We reached a confidential out-of-court resolution with one motor carrier after presenting evidence of its role in creating the unsafe conditions.

The case against the second carrier proceeded to trial, where we established that low-speed operation of a disabled tractor on a highway was unacceptably dangerous and violated industry standards.

As part of the outcome, the owner of the motor-carrier group admitted that the conduct was unsafe and agreed to implement formal training prohibiting drivers from operating disabled tractors below minimum-speed thresholds. Every driver was required to sign written acknowledgements of this policy.

In this case, the outcome went beyond financial recovery and included enforceable training and operating standards designed to prevent similar tragedies in the future.