Medford, Oregon Jury Slams Broker for Negligent Hiring – $1.68 Million in Punitive Damages Awarded

Posted by on Mar 28, 2012 in Contracts, Judgments, Transportation On March 1, 2012 a Medford jury rendered a verdict in a wrongful death case against a broker for $10,000 in non-economic damages (aka pain and suffering) and $1,678,000 in punitive damages. Although the jury also found the driver liable for $40,000 in non-economic damages and $3,471,000 in punitive damages, the lessons to be learned from the case are for brokers and shippers. Facts. Nestle Waters...
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Carrier Liability – Being “Legal” Isn’t Enough to Protect Yourself

Posted by on May 16, 2011 in Judgments, Regulations, Transportation The California Supreme Court recently upheld a jury verdict which found that a legally parked Safeway trailer was 35% responsible for an injury accident.  The truck, which was legally parked on the side of Highway 101, was found to have created an obstructed view for a vehicle entering into an intersection, subsequently colliding with a motorcycle and injuring its riders. In Lawson v....
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Small Claims Court: You Won! Now What?

Posted by on Feb 21, 2011 in Judgments, Q & A, Small Business, Transportation Question: We successfully go through small claims with some of our customers. What is the best way to handle or move forward to collect the judgment? Response: Filing a lawsuit to collect a debt and winning in court gets you a piece of paper called a judgment. The judgment states the amount the judgment debtor owes you, but does not require the judgment debtor to automatically pay you.  If...
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