JACKSONVILLE, Florida. — After a four-week trial, a Nassau County jury reached a unanimous $141.5 million verdict Wednesday night in the case of a March 2020 logging truck accident, according to attorney Curry Pajcic .

Three people were seriously injured in the accident, including a 5-year-old girl who suffered permanent brain damage, Pajcic said. The truck driver had a lengthy criminal and traffic history, and Pajcic said the company that hired him did not check his background.

“This is the most reckless disregard we have ever seen when it comes to security,” Pajcic said at a news conference Thursday.

On March 3, 2020, a man identified as Ellis Eugene Trollinger was operating an 80,000-pound logging truck on State Route 200 in Nassau County. At that time, Trollinger worked for K&N Logging, a logging truck company based in Columbia County.

According to Pajcic, Trollinger had been driving since 4 a.m. and going 60 mph in a 28 mph zone when he approached a congested area with construction workers, school buses and stopped traffic , while parents were picking up their children from school.

Trollinger did not notice the stopped traffic in time and crashed into the back of the line of cars, Pajcic said.

“Trollinger broke the rules, the safety rules,” Pajcic said. “A truck driver must always look where he is going and see what is there to control the speed of his truck.”

Press play below to watch the full press conference

The victims’ families filed a lawsuit against Trollinger and K&N Logging for violating dozens of rules under the law. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

According to Pajcic, it is unclear why Trollinger did not see the traffic stop.

Pajcic said he wasn’t sure if Trollinger was under the influence of any substance because the company failed and refused to take a drug test after the accident. It is also unclear whether he was tired from driving for the maximum period, as the company never asked him to fill out logbooks. It’s also unclear whether Trollinger was looking at his cell phone at the time of the accident because his records were destroyed, he said.

According to Pajcic, the company “blindly” hired Trollinger and put him on the road without an application, without a background check, without a driving history check and without a criminal background check. Additionally, the company failed to check with Trollinger’s previous employers and never conducted pre-employment testing.

“Zero training, zero supervision, zero logbook, zero hours of service, enforcement and zero training on how to tie the logs, then pay it in cash under the table, pay it by the load and to tell him to just drive,” Pajcic said. .

During the trial, the jury learned about Trollinger’s “decorated” criminal history, which includes battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, running a red light and speeding in a commercial vehicle, a drunk driving accident, and more, according to Pajcic.

Trollinger had also been arrested for running a stop sign and arrested for felony possession of methamphetamine.

“The morning of this accident, when K&N Logging, the logging truck industry, put him back on the road, he was taken out of service for operating a logging truck with straps cut in half,” Pajcic said. “He calls the company and they say, ‘Get another load.’ Keep driving.

Pajcic also said Trollinger was fired by two of his four previous employers for causing accidents and speeding.

After learning about Trollinger’s criminal history and hearing from trucking experts, the jury returned a verdict awarding the victims $16.5 million in compensatory damages and $125 million in punitive damages.

Pajcic said he hoped the verdict would send a message to the logging truck industry.

“The logging truck industry thinks the rules don’t apply to them,” Pajcic said. “This jury had the opportunity to shine a light on the danger and corruption of the logging truck industry. »

Mike Miller, one of the victims injured in the crash, spoke at a news conference Thursday in Jacksonville.

“I thank the jury for sending a loud and clear message to the logging truck industry: we are taking back the streets. Follow the rules or you will be held accountable,” Miller said.