The jury then awarded $5 million, finding the owner of the trailer 60 percent liable, and the manufacturer, 40 percent liable

The jury then awarded $5 million, finding the owner of the trailer 60 percent liable, and the manufacturer, 40 percent liable

Law Reporter, Mar 2003

Trailer comes loose from truck: Collision: Wrongful deaths: Settlement: Postverdict settlement.

Ferguson v. Ritchie Tractor Co., Tenn., Knox County Cir. Ct., No. 2-60-01, Nov. 15, 2002.

Ferguson, 57, was driving on a roadway. A utility trailer came loose from a pickup truck and veered into Ferguson's lane, striking his vehicle head-on. He suffered fatal injuries. He had been the president of a security company earning approximately $100,000 annually. Ferguson is survived by his wife and two adult children.

Ferguson's wife sued the trailer manufacturer, alleging negligence in the design and manufacture of the trailer. Plaintiff also sued the company that owned and operated the trailer, alleging failure to adequately secure it, in violation of state law requiring safety chains.

The trailer manufacturer settled during trial for a confidential amount. The jury then awarded $5 million, finding the owner of the trailer 60 percent liable, and the manufacturer, 40 percent liable. Plaintiff then settled with the trailer owner for a confidential amount.