CANTLIN LAW FIRM OBTAINS $2 MILLION WRONGFUL DEATH RECOVERY IN A PICKUP TRUCK V. SEMI TRUCK ACCIDENT AGAINST A NATION-WIDE TRUCKING CORPORATION AND ITS DRIVER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Timothy Cantlin

May 5, 2020
(815) 433-4712 or tcantlin@cantlinlaw.com

CANTLIN LAW FIRM OBTAINS $2 MILLION WRONGFUL DEATH RECOVERY IN A PICKUP TRUCK V. SEMI TRUCK ACCIDENT AGAINST A NATION-WIDE TRUCKING CORPORATION

AND ITS DRIVER

Attorneys John L. Cantlin and Timothy B. Cantlin of the Cantlin Law Firm, obtained a $2,000,000 settlement on behalf of five adult children for the wrongful death of their 64-year-old father killed in pickup truck v. semi accident on Interstate 80. The case was litigated before the honorable U.S. District Judge, Marvin E. Aspen in United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.

On April 6, 2018, the decedent was traveling westbound on Interstate 80 when his pickup became disabled, as a result of a fuel system malfunction. The decedent pulled the pickup onto the right shoulder of Interstate 80. The defendant driver, Michael D. Durr (Durr) was operating a 2017 International truck tractor pulling a semi-trailer and was an employee of Defendant Schuster Co. Durr was operating the equipment on behalf of Schuster Co., a national trucking company that employs over 450 drivers and owns over 475 power units. Durr allowed the 2017 International truck tractor to cross over the fog line striking the pickup. The decedent was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Durr testified that he was forced off the road by a phantom semi-truck. Evidence developed throughout the litigation by the Cantlin Law Firm was instrumental in disproving a “phantom” semi-truck forced Durr off the road. Plaintiff’s certified traffic crash reconstruction in connection with an inspection of the Electronic Control Module (ECM) and discovery obtained in the Fleet Management System installed on Schuster’s Co semi, refuted the Schuster Co driver’s version of the accident. This evidence obtained by Plaintiff thru discovery established the Semi truck was not forced road, that the Schuster driver took no evasive action prior to impact, and ultimately lead to a successful resolution.

The defendant, Schuster Co., and Michael Durr were represented by the firm Orleans Canty Novy LLC from Chicago.