Motor Vehicle Negligence – Pickup truck passenger dies from crash injuries

$1.05 million settlement

Injuries alleged: Blunt force trauma, death

Name of case: Thomas M. Jackson III, Administrator, et al. v. Harmon Jr., et al.

Court: Carroll County Circuit Court

Case no.: CL25000030-00

Date resolved: July 23, 2025

Special damages: Medical bills and funeral expenses

Amount: $1.05 million

Attorney for plaintiff: John Merrick, Henrico County, Merrick Brock

Case description: The decedent, a front-seat passenger in a Ford F-150 work truck owned by his employer, was fatally injured in a motor vehicle crash on Feb. 27, 2023. The crash occurred when the defendant failed to yield the right of way at an intersection, causing the decedent’s vehicle to T-bone the defendant’s vehicle. The decedent suffered blunt force trauma and died from his injuries several days later.

The case was referred to plaintiff’s counsel shortly after suit was filed by the referring attorney on Feb. 18, 2025. At that time, the only settlement offer on the table was $50,000, and the case involved several complicating factors, including an Ohio workers’ compensation lien exceeding $1 million, a surviving spouse by common law marriage residing out of state, an estranged out-of-state beneficiary, and out-of-state insurance policies with significant under
insured motorist coverage.

Despite these complexities, counsel negotiated a significant reduction of the workers’ compensation lien, identified and secured the full extent of available insurance coverage, facilitated a collaborative resolution among all interested beneficiaries, and resolved an attorney lien. The court approved the final settlement on July 23, 2025.