MOTOR VEHICLE

HILLSBOROUGH CIRCUIT COURT

A jury found no liability on the part of a tractor-trailer driver who fatally struck a 22-year-old man on a road in Lithia in 2014.

The decedent's family alleged the truck driver was speeding while using cruise control, reducing his ability to avoid the pedestrian.

The defense argued the accident was an unavoidable act of suicide. The victim had been institutionalized and was undergoing counseling at the time of the accident. A defense accident-reconstruction expert opined the markings on the truck's front end suggested the victim was stationary when hit. The jury found no negligence by the driver.

Case: Estate of Joerger v. Foster

Case No.: 15-CA-005254

Plaintiffs attorney: Bryan D. Caulfield, Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes, Clearwater

Defense attorney: David M. Goldstein, Marcos Rothman Valdes & Goldstein, Miami