Kennedy Watkins Injury Attorneys Secures $30 Million Verdict in I-90 FedEx Wrongful-Death Case

On January 11, 2020, Tanicialle Brown's Chevrolet pickup truck was stopped in the right lane of eastbound Interstate 90 near Rockford, Illinois when it was struck from behind by a FedEx tractor-trailer driven by Douglas Powell. Brown died at the scene from catastrophic injuries. The FedEx truck did not brake, slow, or swerve before impact.

The case proceeded to jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois before Judge Iain D. Johnston. The defense argued that Brown was negligent for stopping in a travel lane rather than on the shoulder and sought to assign her substantial comparative fault. Evidence presented by plaintiff showed that Powell had a clear, unobstructed view of the roadway and that Brown's vehicle was visible in sufficient time for an attentive driver to avoid it. The jury rejected this comparative-fault argument entirely and assigned Brown zero percent responsibility.

The jury awarded $15 million for loss of society and $15 million for grief, sorrow, and mental suffering to Brown's surviving mother and two siblings. Plaintiff's counsel represents this as the largest wrongful-death verdict ever returned at the Rockford federal courthouse and the largest wrongful-death award in the Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiff has moved the court to add $9 million in prejudgment interest, which would bring the total judgment to $39 million. The case was Brown's Estate v. Douglas Powell, T1 Transport Inc., and FedEx Ground Package System, Inc., Case No. 3:21-cv-50094.

This is a curated brief from the PlaintiffWire news desk. Read the original report at Law Firm Newswire.