Robert Brahan awarded $2.2 MM jury verdict

On April 2, 2021, an rental company employee parked his 18-wheeler on the right shoulder of Eraste Landry Road in Lafayette so that he could retrieve a forklift located down a private driveway off the right side of the road. His intent was to pull the forklift onto Eraste Landry Road, drive on the roadway to the back of his 18-wheeler, and load the forklift onto the flatbed trailer of his 18-wheeler.

When the 18-wheeler driver got to the end of the driveway and prepared to make a left hand turn onto the roadway, his 18-wheeler blocked his view of oncoming traffic and prevented approaching vehicles from seeing the forklift. Ignoring his obstructed view and without providing any warning to approaching drivers, he pulled the forklift onto Eraste Landry and crashed into the passenger side of plaintiff’s vehicle. Following the initial impact, our client crashed into a street sign and skidded to a stop on the side of the road.

As the result of the collision, our 41-year-old client suffered injuries to his cervical and lumbar spine including bulging discs at C3-4, C4-5, and C5-6 and a herniation at L4-5. Our client’s initial treatment included chiropractic care, physical therapy, and prescription medication that failed to resolve his symptoms. By April 2022, his treating doctors told him that he had two treatment options going forward: epidural steroid injections and surgery. 

When doctors initially recommended injections and surgery, our client chose to self-manage his own treatment and relied on home exercises and over-the-counter medication for over a year. During that year of self-managed care, his neck and back injuries continued to progress and he ultimately decided to return to his doctors and undergo the recommended injections. 

At trial, our client’s treating surgeon testified that he would have to undergo neck and back surgeries within the next 10 years and he would likely need additional surgeries within 15-20 years. In addition, his treating pain management doctor recommended that he continue to undergo two cervical and two lumbar injections per year until the first surgeries are performed. 

Our client, a father of two young children, continued to work following the collision as a self-employed landscaper so that he could support his family. He described to the jury the physical pain he endured as the consequence of working – something he never experienced before the crash.

The defendants’ top offer prior to trial was $25,000.00.

The jury found the defendants to be 100% at fault and awarded our client over $2,200,000.00.

The attorneys at Broussard, David & Moroux have the knowledge and experience necessary to handle cases of this nature and will fight to obtain fair compensation for your injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered harm because of the fault of another, contact the attorneys at Broussard, David & Moroux to discuss your legal rights at (337) 233-2323 (local) or (888) 337-2323 (toll-free).