Michael Miller, et al vs. Ellis Eugene Trollinger, et al

Case Background

On June 30, 2020, Plaintiff Michael Miller and others filed a Truck crash lawsuit in the Florida Circuit court, Nassau County(Case number: 452020CA000182). This case was presided by the Marianne Lloyd Aho.

Cause

On March 3, 2020, at approximately 2:36 PM, a severe truck crash occurred on State Road 200 in Nassau County, Florida. Ellis Eugene Trollinger, driving a log truck for K&N Logging LLC, crashed into a line of vehicles waiting at a traffic light at Old Nassauville Road/CR 107. The log truck, traveling at approximately 67 mph in a 45 mph zone, failed to brake, causing a five-vehicle pile-up. The truck crash lawsuit stemmed from the collision, which began when Trollinger’s log truck (V1) slammed into a Toyota Scion (V2), which then hit a Jaguar (V3), forcing it into a Chevrolet work van (V4), which finally collided with a fifth vehicle (V5). The truck accident resulted in severe damage to multiple vehicles, with both the Toyota Scion and Jaguar being totaled.

Injuries

The traumatic injuries from this truck crash lawsuit affected multiple victims. Angel Rodriguez-Santiago, the driver of V2, suffered head injuries, neck injuries, and a C5/6 focal protrusion. He also sustained low back injuries that required extensive medical treatment. His five-year-old niece, Yadielis Lopez, was in a booster seat. She sustained severe head trauma, neck injuries, and spinal injuries. These included vestibular dysfunction and traumatic brain injury. Michael Miller, the driver of V3, sustained multiple injuries. These included a T2 compression fracture that required surgery. He also experienced severe neck and back injuries, along with leg injuries. These injuries caused decreased sensation and mobility issues. This truck crash lawsuit highlighted the devastating impact of commercial driver negligence.

Damages

The reckless driving in this truck crash lawsuit resulted in substantial damages for all plaintiffs. These included medical expenses, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of capacity for life enjoyment, lost earnings, and diminished earning capacity. Marilyn Rodriguez-Santiago, as Yadielis’s mother, incurred additional damages, including medical care costs for her daughter and loss of companionship. The trucking company liability extends to both economic and non-economic damages that are expected to continue into the future.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

Legal representation

  • Plaintiff(s): Michael Miller | Angel Rodriguez-Santiago | Marilyn Rodriguez-Santiago
    • Counsel for Plaintiff: Elizabeth Templeton Cardenas | Curry Gary Pajcic
  • Defendant(s):Ellis Eugene Trollinger | K&N Logging, LLC | Candis Legree
    • Counsel for Defendants: John Moffitt Howell

Claims

The personal injury lawsuit filed as part of this truck crash lawsuit included multiple causes of action. The plaintiffs filed negligence claims against Trollinger for reckless operation of the commercial vehicle. They pursued vicarious liability claims against K&N Logging LLC as Trollinger’s employer, asserting trucking company liability for his actions within the scope of employment. The complaint also included claims against Candi Legree for negligent hiring, training, supervision, and entrustment, citing Trollinger’s extensive history of traffic violations and criminal offenses. Legree, as K&N’s manager, allegedly knew or should have known about Trollinger’s dangerous driving history, which included DUI, multiple traffic violations, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation violations. The truck crash lawsuit underscored the importance of proper screening and supervision of commercial drivers to prevent such devastating crashes.

Defense

The defendants (Ellis Eugene Trollinger, K&N Logging LLC, and Candi Legree) responded to the complaint with several key defenses. They admitted to certain jurisdictional claims and specific paragraphs but denied others. They cited a lack of knowledge or deemed them unsupported legal conclusions. In their first affirmative defense, they claimed that plaintiffs Michael Miller and Angel Rodriguez-Santiago were negligent. They argued that the plaintiffs’ negligence either caused or contributed to their own injuries. They also asserted that all plaintiffs failed to wear available and operational seatbelts. This failure, they claimed, significantly contributed to the plaintiffs’ injuries and damages.

The defendants further argued that other persons or entities, whom they did not control, contributed to or caused the incident and resulting damages. They maintained that some of the plaintiffs’ economic damages had already been paid or were payable through collateral sources, and they were entitled to a set-off for these payments. The defense also argued that plaintiffs failed to mitigate their damages, which should prevent them from recovering certain damages. Finally, they asserted that all plaintiffs were subject to Florida’s No Fault Act requirements before they could recover any intangible, non-economic damages alleged in the complaint.

Jury Verdict

On November 6, 2024, the jury divided responsibility for the truck crash equally, finding Ellis Eugene Trollinger and Candi Legree each 50% at fault. For Michael Miller’s injuries, they awarded a total of $1.65 million, which included $150,000 for future medical expenses, $500,000 for past pain and suffering, and $1 million for future non-economic damages.

Angel Rodriguez-Santiago received one of the largest awards in this truck crash lawsuit, totaling $8.726 million. This consisted of $76,000 for past medical bills, $650,000 for future medical expenses, $3 million for past pain and suffering, and $5 million for future non-economic damages.

For young Yadelis Lopez, the jury found she sustained permanent injuries from the truck crash. Through her mother Marilyn Rodriguez-Santiago, they awarded a total of $6.175 million. This broke down into $55,000 for past medical expenses, $120,000 for future medical care (including $60,000 for care after she turns 18), $1 million for past pain and suffering, and $5 million for future non-economic damages.

Finding that K&N Logging, LLC acted with unreasonable financial motivation and dangerous disregard for safety, they hit the company with $125 million in punitive damages. In total, the jury’s verdict amounted to $141.551 million, combining both compensatory and punitive damages from this truck crash lawsuit.

Court Documents:

Available Upon Request