The Estate of Sarah Susman v. R&T Logging

Summary

In this trial, decedent Sarah Susman was driving when logs from a crashed logging truck struck her car. The logging truck, contracted by R&T Logging and driven by Shane McVay, allegedly crashed due to McVay speeding and driving under the influence. Susman's family sues R&T Logging, claiming that the company failed to vet their trucking partner companies.

Attorneys for Susman's family claim that R&T did not properly check whether McVay’s direct employer, Wolf Creek Timber Services, was following safety standards. They state that this practice of swapping jobs, known as “double brokering,” can lead to companies not knowing who is hauling the freight at any point.

R&T argues that they followed industry standards and received assurances from Wolf Creek about their safety practices. The company claims that a responding officer did not note signs of McVay's intoxication initially, suggesting that he was able to hide signs of his alcoholism.

Outcome

Verdict for the defense