A Georgia appeals court just upheld an $8.5 million verdict after a commercial driver suffered a diabetic medical emergency and forced another tractor-trailer into a guardrail.
The driver had a documented history of failing to properly manage his Type 1 diabetes.
His employer required a medical certificate… but the evidence showed it didn’t investigate further into whether his condition was actually being controlled.
The jury ultimately placed 70% of the fault on the trucking company and 30% on the driver. The appellate court let the verdict stand.
The takeaway:
In trucking cases, the driver’s medical history (and what the carrier did to investigate it) can become a major liability issue.
-The PI Brief