Bell County, Texas – The Ammons Law Firm won a verdict in a wrongful death case on behalf of six children and their 47-year-old father who was tragically killed in a 2016 accident on Interstate 35 in Troy, Texas.
After reviewing all of the evidence, a Bell County jury found that the negligence of the Texas Department of Transportation and James Construction Group, LLC caused the 47-year-old man’s death.
His children were awarded $5.49 million in damages.
“A company’s greatest responsibility is being entrusted with the safety of the public,” said Robert Ammons, founder and managing partner of The Ammons Law Firm. “This Bell County jury held the defendants accountable for their negligence.”
The Killeen man was southbound on Interstate 35 when he drove his pickup truck through pooled water in a construction zone at the FM 935 underpass and hydroplaned. His vehicle spun out of control and struck a concrete barrier, causing his airbags to deploy and shattering his headlights and front grill.
His vehicle came to rest in the eastbound lanes with no lights on, where it was then struck violently on the left side of the driver’s door by a trailer-tractor.
The trailer-tractor jackknifed, pinning the pickup against the outside barrier wall and killing the 47-year-old man.
In a lawsuit filed by Ammons and his team at The Ammons Law Firm, plaintiffs alleged that the deadly incident was the result of negligence on the part of TxDOT and James Construction Group, LLC, a contractor hired by the state agency that was tasked with removing the FM 935 underpass.
The Plaintiffs argued that concrete barriers installed by the construction group covered up highway drains and inlets along the I-35 corridor, causing water to pool and create a dangerous situation for motorists.
Plaintiffs alleged that the construction group failed to follow contractual requirements and exercise reasonable care in construction of the highway. Its acts and omissions were so egregious that they constituted gross negligence, plaintiffs contended.
Plaintiffs sued TxDOT for a special defect on their premises, where the crash occurred.
In his review of the trial, a member of the jury said he was amazed by the amount of evidence Ammons presented.
“I felt Ammons was almost over prepared,” the juror said. “The Ammons team was a professional class act from the time they got out of their cars to when they left.”
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The Ammons Law Firm has a nationwide personal injury practice focusing on tire defects, truck accidents, rollovers, consumer protection and product liability, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, post-collision fires, seatbelt defects, airbag defects and plant explosions.
Backed by more than three decades of experience, our legal team has recovered over a billion dollars for the wrongfully injured.
Contact the Ammons Law Firm online today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
