$10 Million Judgment for Victim of Dump Truck Accident Upheld

A Pennsylvania appeals court upheld the $10million verdict in an injury case. Theodus Williams was driving near Scranton, Pennsylvania in a dump truck with multiple mechanical issues. The brakes on the dump truck failed and as a result it hit a car which then rear-ended the car that Holly Ann Kuchwara was riding in. Kuchwara had multiple injuries which left her with permanent scarring and a noticeable limp, even after several surgeries. The driver of the car that was first struck by the dump truck settled out of court, but Kuchwara and her husband sued both the truck driver and the owner of the truck. The suit included compensation for her injuries as well as her husband’s “loss of consortium.” The Kuhwara’s were awarded $400,000 for his loss of consortium and also $1,065,000 for her loss of “household services.” At trial’s end the jury awarded the Kuchwara family a total of $1,025,000 for punitive damages as well as $9.1million in compensatory damages.