A Livingston County man has been awarded $7.7 million in damages after a 2018 incident in which he was injured by a 450-pound tire that detached from a commercial truck.
An Oakland County jury made the unanimous decision following a 15-day civil trial, according to Ven Johnson Law, PLC, the firm that represented Vincent Doa of Brighton.
Doa was driving eastbound on I-96 near Wixom on August 13, 2018 when the driver’s side front wheel fell off a westbound commercial truck owned by Lower Huron Chemical & Supply Co. Inc., (LHCSC). The detached wheel then jumped over the interstate median and slammed into the front of Doa’s car. In addition to a traumatic brain injury, Doa also suffered a spinal cord compression, massive rotator cuff tear, brachial plexopathy, as well as PTSD and chronic pain.
According to a press release from Johnson’s office, attorneys Jeff Danzig and Amelia Black presented testimony from experts in a variety of fields, including biomechanical engineering, that “proved the tire detached due to an oil leak from the hub of the wheel that was ignored by LHCSC, which is in direct violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, specifically section 396, which states, in part: “Every motor carrier shall systematically inspect, repair, and maintain… all motor vehicles subject to its control.”
The eight-person jury deliberated for just 1 ½ hours before unanimously finding LHCSC, despite their denial of liability and claim of fault of a repair facility, to be solely responsible.
“After more than four years of agonizing pain and suffering, our client will finally receive the justice and compensation he deserves after Lower Huron’s gross negligence in not properly inspecting their own truck changed his life forever,” said Ven Johnson, president of Ven Johnson Law.
A request for comment has been made to Lower Huron Chemical & Supply Co.
