Mississippi Supreme Court to Consider Appeal of $17.2M Verdict in Gravel Truck Accident

September 13th, 2011 |

JACKSON, MS. — APAC-Tennessee Inc, a road-paving company, has filed an appeal with the Mississippi Supreme Court after a $17.2 million verdict was awarded to an injured teenager who spent eight months in a coma after a gravel truck plowed into the side of his pickup in 2006 at an intersection in Southhaven, Mississippi.

A DeSoto County jury found that APAC, which hired gravel truck driver Chad McCarty, was 70 percent responsible for the wreck. Lawyers representing the Bryant family said the truck driver’s load was 20,000 pounds overweight and the driver had little experience.

The jury awarded damages in 2009 of $30 million to Ethan Bryant of Hernando, who suffered permanent brain damage, but the trial judge reduced the amount to $17.2 million.

Claims Journal reports:

Attorneys for APAC contended McCarty acted independently and it should not be found negligent in using a trucking contractor.

The other 30 percent in damages was split between McCarty and the company that loaded gravel.

McCarty pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault and was put on 15 years’ probation.

Bryant and his passenger, Patrick Taylor, who was killed in the collision, were both 16-year-old students and athletes at Hernando High School.

Truck Accident Lawyer News is a truck accident and personal injury blog that publishes up to date truck accident and truck legal news from across the United States. Mississippi, due to its high population and vast highway system, has a high incident of personal injury and truck accidents. Mississippi metropolitan cities besides Jackson with a high incident of truck accidents and vehicle collision resulting in severe personal injuries and even death include Greenville, Hattiesburg, Jackson and Tupelo to name a few.