Miles, Sears & Eanni attorneys Douglas Gordon and Lyndsie Russell represented Luis Viruegas for a catastrophic trucking accident that occurred in Fresno County.
On October 17, 2017 Luis Viruegas was a passenger in an Isuzu box truck driven by fellow employee Steven Rodriguez on northbound Highway 41 just north of Herndon Avenue in Fresno. As they approached the Friant Road off-ramp, they encountered a State of California pickup truck which was stopped in the number 3 lane. Mr. Rodriguez attempted to swerve, but was unable to avoid the stopped truck, and the Isuzu crashed into the left rear of the truck.
State of California driver Anthony Quiring had stopped on the roadway because he had observed a shelving unit fall off a Westech Electric truck and collapse onto the freeway. Quiring attempted to move the unit, but once he determined he was unable to, he got back in his truck and called 9-1-1. During the phone call, he informed the 9-1-1 operator that he was going to back up on the freeway away from the shelving unit. Mr. Quiring backed up over 120 feet before coming to a stop in the lane. Witnesses testified that they did not observe any flashers on the State vehicle prior to the crash.
Following the accident, Mr. Viruegas was hospitalized at Community Regional Medical Center for approximately two months. He suffered an epidural hematoma, midline shift, and diffuse axonal brain injury, along with numerous fractures throughout his body including his femoral head and pelvis. He spent over a year at Centre for Neuro Skills in Bakersfield. Due to his injuries, he is unable to work and requires assistance to care for himself.
Plaintiff settled with defendant Westech Electric for $3.5 million at mediation in April 2021, and proceeded to trial against the State.
On March 14, 2022, after a four week jury trial, a Fresno County jury awarded Mr. Viruegas $11,955,701.63 for injuries sustained in the accident.
