On May 11, a jury awarded $1.5 million to a worker who was injured when a collision caused him to fall down in the back of a flatbed pickup. In 2008, Gilberto Villegas was unloading materials when yard mule driver Roy Goodman, who was working for APM Terminals North America Inc., struck his pickup. Villegas claimed he sustained two cervical disk herniations and neck, knee and shoulder injuries when he fell in the bed. He underwent a two-level fusion, and his doctors have recommended that he also undergo lumbar surgery. Villegas sued Goodman, APM and one of APM’s subsidiaries, alleging they were all liable for his injuries. The defendants argued that Goodman wasn’t at fault because Villegas’ truck was parked in the middle of an intersection. They also contended that the collision was minor and didn’t cause the neck and back injuries.
Villegas v. APM Terminals North America Inc, et al., No. 2008-43180
