In August 2021, a 46 year old man driving home from work on a busy highway, was tragically killed when the driver of a tractor trailer traveling in the other direction on the same road crossed the center line of the highway causing a head-on collision.
The man who died had his whole life ahead of him and left behind a teenage son, who was entitled to the wrongful death claim against the driver of the tractor trailer and the individuals and company who hired that driver.
Because the surviving son was a minor at the time of the wreck, his mother had to bring the wrongful death claim on his behalf. Shortly after the wreck, the child’s mother called Luke Moses at Jones, Osteen & Jones, to seek advice about how to best protect her son’s rights.
After investigating the circumstances of the wreck, Luke agreed to represent the child’s interests and to prosecute his claims against the at-fault parties. Shortly after the representation commenced, some members of the deceased father’s family hired another attorney to contest whether the child was the legitimate son of the deceased. Luke worked diligently to obtain and test the DNA of the child and his family members. This work conclusively proved that the deceased was the legitimate father of the child, thus protecting the child’s claim.
While less experienced lawyers may have taken the first settlement offer from the Defendants’ insurance company and quickly settled the case, Luke did not. Instead, he explored every possible avenue to maximize the recovery to which the child was entitled. That also required Luke to seek personal financial information from Defendants who fought to prevent the disclosure of their financial assets. After months of negotiations, investigations, and litigation, Luke was recently able to obtain that information and, as a result, to recover millions of dollars for the child.
After settling the case, Luke helped the child and his family navigate the process of responsibly investing the settlement proceeds in an effort to protect the child’s interests in the years to come. While that money will never replace his father, it was critical for this case to be prosecuted by a lawyer and a law firm that knew how to get every dollar the child was entitled to receive.
This story is an example of how life can change instantly when tragedy strikes. Too often following an event like this one, victims will hire the first lawyer they see in a TV advertisement. And, more often than not, those TV lawyers settle the resulting cases as quickly as they can for less money than their clients deserve instead of giving the clients and the claims the attention they require.
Luke and the entire team at Jones, Osteen & Jones are honored to have the opportunity to represent and help protect the interests of clients in times of need and uncertainty. With over 60 years of experience in prosecuting wrongful death claims, the lawyers and staff at Jones, Osteen & Jones have the knowledge and skill to obtain the best possible result following a tragedy like the one described here.
If you or someone you know is injured or killed, please consider calling Luke Moses at Jones, Osteen & Jones at (912) 876-0111 to ensure that you and your loved ones receive the justice they deserve.