A $90 million verdict awarded to a family injured in a crash with a Werner Enterprises semi truck has been overturned more than a decade after the fatal accident.
The December 2014 crash happened on Interstate 20 near Odessa, Texas when an F-150 pickup truck lost control in icy conditions and crossed the center median, where it was struck by an oncoming semi truck operated by Werner Enterprises. The accident severely injured two children in the Blake family and took the life of another. The Blake family then sued Werner and truck driver Shiraz Ali, and settled with the pickup truck driver, Trey Salinas, before trial.
A district court jury initially found Werner employees other than Shiraz liable for 70% of the accident, and found Ali liable for 14%. Salinas was determined to be 16% liable for the accident. The Blake family was awarded nearly $90 million in May of 2018, $68 million of which was awarded to one of the children that was rendered a quadriplegic as a result of the crash.
According to Dallas Express, Werner and Ali appealed to the 14th District Court of Appeals in Houston, where the initial decision was affirmed. Werner and Ali then petitioned for a review in the State Supreme Court. On June 27th of this year, the Texas Supreme Court chose to rule in favor of Werner and Ali, dismissing and reversing the judgement by the initial jury and in the court of appeals.
Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock wrote the following opinion on the reversal ruling:
“This awful accident happened because an out-of-control vehicle suddenly skidded across a wide median and struck the defendant’s truck, before he had time to react, as he drove below the speed limit in his proper lane of traffic,” Blacklock wrote. “That singular and robustly explanatory fact fully explains why the accident happened and who is responsible for the resulting injuries.”
“The sole proximate cause of this accident and these injuries… was the sudden, unexpected hurtling of the victims’ vehicle into oncoming highway traffic, for which the defendants bore no responsibility,” the statement continues.
Werner and Ali have been released from all legal liability in the eyes of the Texas courts.
