A tractor-trailer driver who was told by his trucking\ncompany to falsify his driving logbook to make it appear that he was well-rested\nbetween long-distance deliveries has been awarded an $80 million verdict by a\nTexas jury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The driver, Lauro Lozano Jr., fell\nasleep at the wheel and crashed<\/a> into the rear of another tractor-trailer on\nMay 6, 2015 on northbound Interstate 59 in Alabama after he followed his\ncompany’s instructions and falsified his driving logbook, according to a May 9\nstory on CLDLife.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lozano was seriously injured in the crash and\ncontended that he feared the loss of his job if he did not do as his supervisors\nordered in altering his logbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to his lawsuit<\/a>,\nLozano had returned to his employer’s trucking depot in McAllen, Texas, about 3\np.m. on May 3, 2015 after delivering a shipment to San Antonio, Texas. He then went\nhome to rest to meet the requirements of federal laws which require commercial\ntruck drivers to rest a minimum of 34 hours before making another long-distance\ndelivery, according to the lawsuit. Lozano drove tractor-trailers for several\nrelated companies, including JNM Express LLC, Omega Freight Logistics LLC and Anca\nTransport. Omega and Anca are under the control of Jorge and Silvia Marin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But a few hours after the driver had returned home, he\nreceived a phone call from Jorge Marin telling him that he would have to take a\ndifferent load of freight to Maryland the next morning for Omega Freight, the complaint\ncontinued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lozano said he resisted the request, telling Marin\nthat he recently returned home from the last run to San Antonio and that he\ncould not safely or legally drive the next load until a later date, the suit\ncontinued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Jorge Marin instructed Plaintiff to alter his\nlogbook to make it appear as though he had taken the 34-hour rest period and\ninstructed him to return to the [trucking company] the next morning to run the\nshipment to Maryland,” the suit stated. Lozano went to his job at 5 a.m.\nthe next morning because he was fearful of being fired if he did not obey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While driving through Alabama on the way to Maryland,\nLozano fell asleep at the wheel and rear-ended another tractor-trailer on Interstate\n59. His attorneys argued that he had been forced to make the trip in violation\nof federal driving laws due to pressure from his employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After hearing testimony in the case, a jury in Hidalgo\nCounty, Texas, unanimously ruled in favor of Lozano, awarding him $5 million\nfor pain and suffering endured during and after the crash, as well as punitive\ndamages of $25 million from each of the three trucking companies operated by\nJorge Marin, the report stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Legal\ncases like this one occur around the nation every day and are examples of\nsimilar kinds of car and truck crash cases that MyPhillyLawyer<\/em> attorneys\nregularly work on tirelessly for our own clients. Often, we are not able to\ndiscuss the cases we are actively working on due to confidentiality\nrequirements, so we discuss other relevant cases in the news such as this one\nto illustrate the legal situations people find themselves in every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you need a truck accident\ninjury attorney<\/a>, we here at MyPhillyLawyer<\/em> stand\nready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever\nseriously injured in any kind of car or truck crash, slip and fall,\nworkplace injury or wrongful death in Philadelphia or anywhere in the United\nStates. We pledge to make sure that you and your family get the compassionate,\ndogged and experienced legal representation that you deserve and expect from a\nprofessional legal team which works hard to uncover every fact to bolster your\ncase and maximize your damage award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We represent the families of victims who die\nin such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of\ndamages that they are eligible to receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talk to a Philadelphia car crash attorney at MyPhillyLawyer<\/em><\/a> by\ncalling 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-866-907-2231 anytime\nand our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support\nstaff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage\nyour case through the legal system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n