Waddle Trucking Hit With New Trial Over Crash
Georgia’s Court of Appeals has ordered a new trial in a deadly wreck case, ruling that the trial judge wrongly blocked evidence showing the driver’s fatigue and the company’s hiring practices.
Aileen Johnson and Sarah Bryant sued Waddle Trucking of Mississippi after a tractor-trailer driven by a Waddle employee rear-ended their vehicle on I-75. The impact killed Johnson’s husband and injured both women. At trial, the judge refused to let jurors hear that the driver had worked 14 straight hours and that Waddle had hired him without checking his prior employment or drug-test records. The jury found for the company, but the appeals court said that evidence should have reached the jury because it could show both driver negligence and the company’s failure to enforce safety rules.
The ruling clarifies that trucking firms can be held responsible not just for what happens on the road, but for how they screen and schedule drivers before trips begin. For carriers, the decision raises the stakes: skipping background checks or pushing drivers past legal hours could now open the door to bigger verdicts.
Bottom Line: Poor hiring and hours records can cost carriers at trial.
https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10873711/waddle-trucking-of-mississippi-inc-v-aileen-johnson/
What steps does your company take to verify driver records before every load?