A trucking company has agreed to pay $9 million to settle claims that its driver was using his cellphone before falling asleep at the wheel and colliding with another vehicle.

The parties in the case, Crews v. Cole, which had been filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, agreed to the settlement Wednesday, according to the plaintiff's attorney, Fredric Eisenberg of Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck. The plaintiff, Deanne Crews, claimed the accident caused lasting injuries, including a traumatic brain injury.

“Our client did everything right. She was wearing her seatbelt and abiding by the speed limit, and she was catastrophically injured,” Eisenberg said, adding that the settlement highlights the importance of ensuring that commercial truck drivers adhere to safety standards. “The failure to do so inevitably leads to a catastrophe.”