Finally, closure: Jury says Texas trucking company to pay $105 Million to family of slain husband and father of three rear-ended by Amazon partner. Survivors and lawyers hope trucking companies get strong warning through one of the state’s largest wrongful death verdicts in recent years.
DALLAS, TEXAS – Just before the holidays, a Texas jury is providing some sense of closure to a wife and mother of three children by awarding $105 million to the survivors of Gustavo Lopez, Sr., who was killed after being rear-ended by the driver of a commercial truck transporting Amazon freight to United States Postal Service locations. The 18-wheeler, owned by All Points 360, LLC (a participant in Amazon’s Middle Mile Delivery Service Partner Program), was driven by an employee who was not licensed, trained, or background checked.
The jury awarded $42 million in compensatory damages and $63 million in punitive damages, making it one of the largest wrongful death verdicts in Texas in recent years. Other defendants settled for undisclosed damages before the jury’s verdict.
“This family lost their sole provider due to the gross negligence of trucking and freight companies that failed to ensure that basic, minimum employee and safety standards were met,” said Nuru Witherspoon, an attorney for the plaintiffs. “We hope that this outcome sends a message to companies who choose to put their corporate profits above the protection of motorists.”
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