Angela Pope-Morgan, et al. v. Leilei Chen, et al.

Summary

In this trucking trial, passengers Asia and Sarah Morgan were hit by a big-rig truck driven by Leilei Chen. Asia and Sarah sue Chen and employer FBM Group Corporation, claiming that Chen was not paying attention and rear-ended their car.

Attorneys for the Morgans argue that Chen was speeding and became distracted after dropping a water bottle. When he looked down to pick it up, he struck the Morgans' car from behind. This allegedly led to the seat backs failing and Asia and Sarah suffering severe neurological injuries.

Chen and FBM agree that the truck was driving around 20 miles per hour faster than the Morgans' car, but attribute this difference to the car traveling significantly under the speed limit. Attorneys for the defendants claim that the truck cannot exceed a certain speed due to a speed governor. Additionally, they argue that Asia and Sarah's injuries were due to later chiropractor visits, as the initial emergency room findings did not indicate some of their later complications.

Outcome

Verdict for plaintiffs.
Total damages: $21,253,467

Apportionment of fault: Leilei Chen: 82%
William Morgan: 18%