The collision occurred when tractor trailer No. 1, merging onto Interstate 95 south of Hope Mills, struck tractor trailer No. 2. The latter had been parked in the merge lane for over 10 hours due to a breakdown, with warning triangles set out but no timely removal. The plaintiff, trapped in tractor trailer No. 1, had to be extricated and was initially flown to Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and then to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She spent a month in the hospital and two more months in a rehabilitation facility before returning home to North Carolina.

The plaintiff sued both truck drivers and their respective trucking companies. All defendants denied liability. Discovery revealed that tractor trailer No. 2 had broken down due to a delayed fuel filter replacement. Both trucks carried $1 million liability policies, with one truck also having a $5 million umbrella policy.

Plaintiff’s counsel managed to eliminate all but one subrogation lien, which was successfully reduced. All policies tendered their limits, leading to a settlement amounting to $6.992 million.

Source: https://nclawyersweekly.com/2024/07/14/6-99-million-settlement-tractor-trailer-crash-leaves-plaintiff-hospitalized-for-3-months/