Experienced Truck Driver Was Struck by Another 18-Wheeler, Leaving Him Unable to Work Ever Again

I was heading back up to Wisconsin to return to work as a truck driver. Just above Dallas, there was either an accident or slow traffic, so I slowed way down, leaving plenty of distance. Out of the blue, I looked up in my rearview mirror and saw a truck barreling down the road. I thought, “Oh my God, does he not see the slowed traffic?”

When he hit me, the impact was so hard that my seat broke. If the truck had caught fire, I would have been dead because I couldn’t move. In the ambulance, they cleared me, so I thought everything was fine. But a day later, something wasn’t right. We went to the hospital, and they told me I had a broken finger, bruised ribs, a neck fracture, and other injuries the first hospital had missed. According to the surgeon, three vertebrae were damaged, and my meniscus was completely gone. That’s why I was in so much pain.

You have to understand, I went from making $200,000 a year to nothing. I wasn’t working for the first year and a half. I lost my 18-wheeler, my cars, my motorhome—everything. There was a point when all this was going on that I wanted to give up. That’s when I got a hold of you guys. We knew we needed a law firm from Texas.

I met with Matt and Andrea, and from the first impression I got a warm, reassuring feeling. You helped me find doctors and were willing to come to me—something my other lawyer never did. That showed me a lot. The biggest thing was you never gave up on me. You made me feel like family. It’s just nice to know there are people out there who actually care. That’s what I got from you guys.

I’m a completely different person now. I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety attacks. Anytime I see a truck behind me in the rearview mirror, I freak out. Even though the surgeries have helped with the pain, I can’t go out and have fun like I used to because of my back. I drove nearly a million miles without an accident. Now, I’m no longer a truck driver. I can’t hold a CDL because I can’t pass the physical portion—all because another driver wasn’t paying attention. He lost his job, but I lost my career.

With the case finally settled, I can now sit back without worrying where my next meal or bill payment will come from. Having that weight lifted off your mind is priceless. An 18-wheeler in the wrong hands is an accident waiting to happen. Zehl & Associates were ready to pounce like a mountain lion, bringing them to justice and making them pay for what they did. Don’t hesitate—this is one of the best companies I’ve ever worked with.