Clancy Bowen and Jerry Hamilton deliver opening statements at trial over a tractor-trailer collision that left a man with a traumatic brain injury. Watch the trial.
Gainesville, FL— Attorneys Monday debated who was at fault for a 2023 tractor-trailer crash that severely injured a Florida man. Thomas v. C&S Wholesale Services, et al., 2024-CA-000343.
Charles Thomas’ vehicle struck a tractor-trailer driven by Gregory Streater for C&S Wholesale Services, in June 2023 as Streater was making a U-turn on US Highway 301, in Alachua County, Florida. The collision broke multiple bones throughout Thomas’ body and left him with a traumatic brain injury. Thomas’ attorney, Morgan & Morgan’s Clancy Boylan told jurors Monday the crash’s fallout on Thomas would cost roughly $2 million in total medical expenses alone.
Boylan contends Streater was negligent in making the U-turn on the highway. And during his opening statement Monday, he told jurors that Streater made the U-turn, despite the fact that safer options were available to correct his route. Boylan previewed evidence he said would show the dangers of tractor-trailer U-turns on highways, but said a representative for defendant C&S would acknowledge the company did not prohibit its drivers from making those U-turns at the time of the crash.
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“Had that policy [prohibiting U-turns] been in place,” Boylan said, “we wouldn’t be here.”
But the defense contends that Thomas had plenty of time to see the big rig in the midst of the U-turn, and brake to avoid the crash. During his opening, Hamilton Miller & Birthisel’s Jerry Hamilton told jurors evidence would show that Thomas took no action to avoid the crash until one second before impact, when he took his foot off the gas pedal, before hitting the brakes one-half second before collision. Meanwhile, Hamilton said testimony would show Thomas should have seen the tractor-trailer at least 8 seconds before impact.
“If he had pressed his brakes at 3.9 seconds (or more before the crash),” Hamilton said, “we’re not here today, folks.”
Trial is expected to last through the end of next week.
CVN is covering the trial and providing on-demand video at the end of each session.
Email Arlin Crisco at acrisco@cvn.com.
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