Jury Awards $65 Million in Fatal Trucking Crash Case in Colorado
A Colorado jury awarded $65 million on Tuesday to a 14-year-old boy following the death of his mother in a trucking accident on August 8, 2022.
The verdict came after a five-day trial against truck driver Darnell Yingling and his employer, Import Auto Inc. Megan Arneson, 32, was killed while driving northbound on Interstate 25 after a trip to a water park with her then-10-year-old son. According to attorneys, the truck was hauling an improperly loaded excavator.
Colorado State Patrol investigators found that the excavator's arm exceeded clearance limits under an overpass, leading to a collision that dropped concrete debris onto the interstate. One piece of debris struck Arneson's vehicle, causing fatal injuries. She died at the scene.
The lawsuit claimed that the driver and his employer neglected to properly load and secure the equipment. There were also allegations of inadequate training and inspection regarding load safety.
The $65 million verdict is reported as the largest jury award for a trucking crash in Colorado and the largest in Larimer County. “Megan's family wanted to make the world a safer place,” said Attorney Travis Young, expressing gratitude to the jury.