In Beaumont, Texas, Dannie McLean was driving down the roadway when an 18-wheeler-tractor trailer rig made an illegal left-hand turn directly into McLean’s path causing a collision. McLean suffered permanent and disfiguring injuries, medical costs and loss of earnings.
The lawsuit alleges the 18-wheeler was negligent for failing to keep a proper lookout, failing to yield the right of way by pulling out in front of McLean’s vehicle, and making a left turn out of an illegal lane of travel. The lawsuit not only alleges 18-wheeler driver negligence, but also the truck company’s negligence for negligent entrustment, negligent hiring and negligent retention of its truck driver. Quite frequently, 18-wheelers make left turns on busy highways in front of traffic. Either the 18-wheeler does not keep a lookout to see the approaching motorist, or expects the approaching motorist to slow down and stop otherwise suffer the consequences. When there is a crash between a large truck and a car, the greater percentage of the time the people in the car are going to be seriously injured or killed. The truck has too much weight, sometimes 80,000 pounds.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
