A federal jury found that a Kentucky timber company was at fault in a 2008 crash that killed 42-year-old Roger Reagan. WXIX-TV reported on November 12, 2011, that 54-year-old Morgan Quisenberry had been driving about three hours longer than is legal when he lost control of his tractor-trailer before striking two passenger cars and crashing into the cab of a rig driven by Regan. The jury ruled that Dunaway Timber Co. of Fordsville, Kentucky, will pay the $7 million judgment awarded to Reagan's family.
According to WXIX, attorneys for the plaintiff also showed that Quisenberry lied to his employer about his driving record, which included two DWIs. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the company's responsibility for Reagan's depth stems not only from negligent hiring but negligent management for sending Quisenberry on a route that he could not have completed within the number of hours designated for commercial drivers. While commercial divers are prohibited from driving more than 11 hours straight, the Democrat-Gazette said Quisenberry was on a route that cannot be driven in less than 13 hours.
This case represents two very common forms of trucking company negligence that lead to truck accidents. Quisenberry not only should have had more rest while completing his route, but the trucking company never should have put him behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer in the first place. As one attorney told the Democrat-Gazette, there are thousands of cases involving negligent hiring or supervision around the nation.
If you have been injured or have lost a loved one as a result of another person's negligence, you deserve to be fully compensated for your losses. The simple fact is that you should not be forced to pay the price for another person's careless or reckless actions.