Houston Lawyer Joe Stephens Seeks Millions for Truck Accident Injury Victim

A Texas man suffered injuries to much of his body in a 2018 trucking accident, including developing CRPS, a chronic and debilitatingly painful medical condition.

Houston, TX (July 15th, 2019) – Houston car crash lawyer Joe Stephens has issued a demand letter on behalf of his client, Mr. Williams, seeking a multi-million-dollar settlement for injuries Mr. Williams received in a 2018 trucking accident. His big rig collided with a truck and trailer operated by Phillip Baker while in the employ of Brinkerhoff, an oilfield servicing company. Mr. Williams has been dealing with constant pain and impairment since the accident including complex regional pain syndrome, a nerve disorder associated with debilitating and chronic pain.

A Thoughtless Maneuver with Disastrous Consequences

On the morning of January 16, 2018, Phillip Baker was driving his Ford truck and Big Tex Utility trailer on highway 137 headed to a jobsite when he found himself lost. He pulled the truck and trailer loaded with pressure washing equipment onto the shoulder of the small two-lane highway, just over the crest of a hill. Baker then made a sudden U-turn in the middle of the highway, a careless maneuver with disastrous consequences.

As Baker attempted his U-turn, Mr. Williams’s big rig truck began descending the hill. Shamal attempted to swerve and avoid a collision but realized he would only impact Baker’s cab, a possible life-threatening scenario for anyone inside the smaller truck. Instead, Shamal did the only thing he could and collided with Baker’s equipment trailer. The resulting collision caused Shamal’s rig to veer off the road and roll onto the other side of the highway.

As a result of the collision, Mr. Williams’ Freightliner sustained significant damages and was declared a total loss. More importantly, the inside passenger compartment was largely destroyed. As an experienced truck injury attorney, Joe was able to show that the physical evidence proves there were sufficient forces to cause serious injuries later shown in Shamal’s medical records.

Investigation Clearly Established Fault

Baker admitted fault to Mr. Williams’ and to DPS Trooper Mike Baskerville. The trooper cited Baker for making an unsafe U-Turn. Baker admitted that there was nothing that Shamal could have done to avoid the collision. He stated that he “Didn’t blame Shamal for anything. Honestly, I think he helped save our lives [by veering back to the right]”. Trooper Baskerville found that Williams could not be faulted for failing to avoid the collision because his path was blocked and Shamal had the legal right of way. Baskerville also had no criticism regarding Shamal’s evasive maneuver considering he had an 80,000-pound load and did not have a reasonable chance to stop or avoid the collision.

Physical and Emotional Damages and Impairment

After his initial treatment, Mr. Williams has seen many medical providers over the past 18 months who have treated him for symptoms arising from the crash. Neurologists, pain management physicians, physical medicine physicians, orthopedics, a chiropractor, a psychologist, and physical therapists have diagnosed and treated him with the following injuries: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a “SLAP” tear in the labrum of his right shoulder, disc herniations and facet joint injuries in his cervical and lumbar spine with radiculopathy; a complete tear in his anterior right knee with further tears in his lateral and medical meniscus; boutonniere deformity of left hand; post traumatic concussion; depression and anxiety. Shamal’s medical records show that no symptoms of these injuries were present prior to the 2018 crash and medical experts have testified that it is a reasonable probability that the crash caused them.

The most debilitating of Mr. Williams’ injuries is the development of Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. CRPS is a chronic nerve disorder that occurs most often in the arms or legs after a minor or major injury. CRPS is associated with severe nerve pain and is incurable. Fortunately, Mr. Stephens has experience representing victims of CRPS injuries.

Due to his injuries, Mr. Williams has experienced headaches, vision problems, tremors, weakness, tingling and numbness in his arms and legs, nervousness, irritability, mood swings, anger, vertigo and tinnitus. He also suffers from cognitive issues such as difficulty concentrating, short term memory loss, fatigue, insomnia, problems with multi-tasking, poor judgment, and decreased motivation. He is not able to socialize. He has been unable to sleep comfortably due to the pain.

Due to the collision, Mr. Williams continues to face severe hardships and is unable to lead a normal and restriction free life without pain and suffering. It is likely that he will be forced to stay inactive due to his injuries for the rest of his life.

Reasonable Justice Without a Long and Costly Trial

Personal injury attorney Joe Stephens of the Stephens Law Firm has issued a demand letter to Brinkerhoff and Philip Baker requesting a multi-million-dollar amount that he feels is justified given the impact the truck accident of 2018 has had on Mr. Williams’ life. “My firm has brought this demand forward with the hopes of achieving justice for Mr. Baker without the need for a lengthy trial.”, stated Mr. Stephens. “I believe that liability is clear in this case and that the amount we are requesting is fair and reasonable for the trauma, suffering and economic losses endured by Mr. Baker.”

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Joe Stephens is a double board-certified trial lawyer based in Houston, Texas. His 30+ years of experience includes extraordinary Texas courtroom victories and settlements in personal injury cases involving truck and car accidents, wrongful death, and product liability.