FT MYERS, FL—Attorney Tyler Dupuy and his team at Farah & Farah’s Fort Myers office secured a $1,064,313.76 settlement for a husband and wife following a severe commercial tractor-trailer collision on Interstate 75 in Southwest Florida.
The case came to Dupuy nearly 18 months after the incident occurred. The clients were involved in a crash after a commercial tractor-trailer suffered a tire blowout, lost control, crossed multiple traffic lanes, and struck their pickup truck. Both victims sustained severe spinal injuries requiring extensive medical treatment, including cervical spine surgery for the wife and both a lumbar fusion and artificial disc replacement for the husband.
Upon taking over representation from a prior firm, Dupuy shifted strategy away from settlement negotiations toward immediate litigation, filing a lawsuit against the trucking company and demanding the full available insurance policy limits.
Despite an 18-month delay that prevented physical scene evidence preservation, Dupuy’s investigation uncovered critical gaps in the motor carrier’s routine maintenance and inspection documentation required under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations. Additionally, the investigation evaluated the driver’s emergency response, focusing on the jackknife outcome to determine whether proper control protocols were followed during the blowout.
The trial-focused approach and comprehensive client preparation for depositions ultimately led the insurer to tender the $1.06 million recovery.
