Logging truck company and driver hit with $141 million verdict in multi-vehicle crash

A Florida jury handed down a massive verdict against a trucking company involved in a multi-vehicle crash in 2020, alleging that the company was negligent in employing the truck driver involved without doing sufficient background checks.

A jury in Nassau County awarded $141.5 million to three crash victims who filed suit against K&N Logging, driver Ellis Eugene Trollinger, and owner Candi Legree, the Florida Times-Union reports. The verdict was unanimous following a four-week trial.

The lawsuit was filed following a March 3, 2020, crash that happened on State Road 200 in Nassau County, Florida. Court documents filed by the victim’s legal team claim that Trollinger was speeding in a loaded log truck when he caused a major injury crash:

“Defendant Trollinger was driving recklessly, and in willful disregard for the safety of others, as he was speeding at an estimated 67 miles per hour (in 45 m.p.h. zone) and he never hit his brakes as he barreled K&N’s log truck directly into the rear of the line of traffic on SR 200 westbound waiting for the light at Old Nassauville Road, causing a severe five-vehicle pile-up crash.”

Three people suffered serious injuries, including a 5 year old child who suffered permanent brain damage.

Following the crash, Trollinger was cited for careless driving and failure to maintain a safe following distance.

The suit alleged that “Defendant K&N and Defendant Legree knew or should have known that Defendant Trollinger was unfit to drive a commercial motor vehicle tractor-trailer log truck over the highways of this state” and pointed to numerous criminal violations on Trollinger’s record, including DUI, aggravated assault, battery on a law enforcement officer, speeding in a CMV, possession of drug paraphernalia, and numerous violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations.

The plaintiffs further alleged that “K&N recklessly, willfully, and in callous disregard for the safety of the public, illegally hired, retained, supervised, and entrusted Trollinger with a commercial motor vehicle over the highway in direct violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations,” alleging that K&N failed to check Trollinger’s driving record, past safety record, previous employment record, and that they failed to administer a pre-employment drug test or to require that Trollinger produce a medical certificate.

“K&N provided minimal, if any, supervision of Trollinger’s drive time hours, and failed to monitor Trollinger’s compliance with the maximum hours of service, maximum drive time, and minimum mandatory break time rules,” the lawsuit stated.

“K&N’s conduct in blindly hiring, employing, retaining, entrusting, and dispatching a dangerous driver like Trollinger over the road in a commercial truck was in willful and conscious violation of its duties under the law, industry standards, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations,” the Pajcic & Pajcic law firm concluded.

The jury’s verdict includes $16.5 million in compensatory damages and $125 million in punitive damages.