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Dallas jury awards $20.8 million in fatal 18-wheeler crash

Dallas jury awards $20.8 million in fatal 18-wheeler crash By Pegasus News wire DALLAS — The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson is announcing a $20.8 million jury verdict handed down today on behalf of the wife and estate of a man who died from injuries he suffered when his vehicle was struck by an 18-wheeler. Firm founder Frank L. Branson represented Kathleen Bohne in the wrongful death lawsuit over the August 12, 2004 truck wreck that claimed the life of her husband Robert E. Bohne. Photo not provided by the Law Offices of Frank L. Branson Optimus Prime was unavailable for comment Jurors in Judge Mark Greenberg's Dallas County Court No. 5 heard evidence that truck driver Turner Bruce Yarbrough caused the multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 635 in Dallas. Mr. Yarbrough was driving a tractor-trailer carrying hazardous waste for Dallas-based Enviroclean Management Services Inc. He collided with a car driven by Mr. Bohne, causing the car to flip over. Mr. Bohne suffered serious injuries in the crash. He never left the hospital and died from complications caused by his injuries 162 days later. "Through obvious gross negligence, this couple's golden years were ruined," Mr. Branson says. "Mr. Bohne's death after five months of suffering in the hospital has left a tremendous void in his wife's life. This verdict should send a message to the trucking industry that this sort of behavior isn't going to be tolerated." In their verdict, jurors awarded approximately $9.8 million in actual damages. They also found that the actions of Mr. Yarbrough and Enviroclean amounted to gross negligence and awarded an additional $11 million in exemplary damages. Among other things, Mr. Yarbrough's employers did not perform background checks before hiring him as a hazardous materials truck driver and did not perform random drug tests. The plaintiff's attorneys maintain that had the company done so, it likely would have discovered Mr. Yarbrough had a 12-year history of crack cocaine use, and had, on several occasions, been admitted to drug rehabilitation facilities. He also previously had been convicted of possession of marijuana in a vehicle and had his driver's license suspended multiple times. The lawsuit sought wrongful death damages on behalf of Mr. Bohne's estate and Mrs. Bohne, as well as medical and funeral expenses.

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