Nashville single mother wins $31.8M verdict after crash with concrete truck

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A Nashville woman was awarded nearly $32 million against a concrete company that employed a driver who crashed into her vehicle and had several past driving violations.

According to Morgan & Morgan Injury Law Firm, plaintiff and single mother Jennifer Gooch, 40, declined the defense’s highest settlement offer of $70,000 and was ultimately awarded $31,894,263.15 on Wednesday.

The verdict includes $30 million in punitive damages against the company Smyrna Ready Mix Concrete, LLC, one of the largest in Tennessee history according to Morgan & Morgan.

On September 16, 2020, Morgan & Morgan reports Gooch was driving north on Eatons Creek Road in Nashville when the defendant driver, who was employed by Smyrna Ready Mix Concrete, ran a stop sign and collided with the left side of her vehicle.

Per Tennessee law, the primary purpose of a punitive award is to deter misconduct by a defendant in the future. Morgan & Morgan says among the facts this jury considered was Smyrna Ready Mix Concrete’s decision to hire the defendant driver despite his driver’s license having been suspended five times, which he lied about on his application, as well as their failure to discipline him after multiple collisions and driving violations, both before and after the crash that injured Ms. Gooch.

“Our client was permanently injured by someone who should never have been entrusted by Smyrna Ready MIx Concrete with driving a 27,000-pound cement truck,” said Morgan & Morgan partner Kelli Lester.

Gooch’s vehicle was totaled, and she suffered severe ankle and back injuries. A Davidson County jury awarded Gooch $1,894,263.15 for her medical expenses, permanent injury, physical pain, mental suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.

“We are pleased the jury saw fit to not only award her a fair verdict for her expenses, pain and suffering, but also understood their responsibility to try to prevent the defendant’s reckless misconduct in the future by awarding severe punitive damages,” said Morgan & Morgan attorney Burke Keaty.

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