Indian Couple Awarded Compensation for Injuries in 2010 Accident
Posted on July 2, 2012 Written By: iadminlaw
Schneider National Carriers 2006 Freightliner Century Class Midroof 2007 53′ Wabash DuraPlate® HD Tractor is used on a regional dedicated account. This is a scene from US-95 near the Arizona – California border. Photo by: J. Bohannon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When trucks cause accidents, they can end up inflicting personal injury to many victims. What many of these victims don’t know is that they can file a personal injury claim for the pain and suffering they have been caused. Getting involved in an accident is misfortunate; and often the last thing on a victim’s mind is legal matters. However, if you have been involved in a crash, filing a claim as soon as possible can prove to be helpful in the long run.
On Friday, June 29, a couple was awarded $36.48 million for the injuries and trauma they received in an accident involving an 18-wheeler big rig in 2010. The compensation was awarded in a Riverside County Superior Court to victims Prakash Sheth and his wife Jashiree Sheth. The husband and wife had been visiting the United States from India when they were struck by a semi in Beaumont on Interstate 10. They were on their way to the John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana to board a flight to Hawaii for a family vacation.
On the interstate, the semi had tried to pass the Sheths’ vehicle, but the truck had not fully passed their car when it merged into their lane, hitting the car and causing the accident.
The Sheth couple was being driven by their American relative to the Orange County airport when their automobile was struck by the 18-wheeler truck. After the collision, the car spun out of control on the freeway and then hit the median wall. Another vehicle hit the car after it collided on the middle barrier. All three passengers attained personal injury but it was the wife, Jashiree, who suffered the worse.
Jashiree, now 58, had received spinal cord injuries which has left her paralyzed. The fractures she obtained on her spine require her to have 24-hour care.
The big rig that struck the victims’ car is owned by Schneider National Carriers, Inc. The company has stated on Friday—after the compensation was awarded to the couple—that they plan on asking for a new trial or at least getting an appeal. A spokesperson for the company has said that the trucking company employs safe drivers and the truck driver involved in the accident had a great driving record.
Clearly, the Sheths’ lives have drastically changed because of this careless accident. While nothing can replace the perfect health Jashiree once had, the couple had taken the right steps by getting in contact with a legal firm. The husband and wife received the compensation they deserved from all the issues they had had to endure. The jury awarded them $469,490 for past medical costs, $4.8 million for any future expenses related to their medical needs, $6 million for past pain and suffering, and an extra $22 million for any future pain and suffering they may face.
Getting into an accident is not easy nor are the consequences that follow. However, if you have been the victim and received personal injury in an automobile crash, consult with a Riverside car accident attorney today.
