KTRE.com Lufkin and Nacogdoches |Lufkin Industries Plans to Appeal $36 Million Verdict

Lufkin Industries Plans to Appeal $36 Million Verdict

by Ramonica R. Jones

An attorney for a brain damaged woman is speaking out about a jury's decision to award his client $36 million in damages. This week, a jury decided Lufkin Industries was partly to blame for the injuries the woman suffered in a traffic accident.  

The victim's attorney hopes the jury's decision sends a strong message to the truck manufacturing industry.

Kelleigh Falcon's vehicle went underneath a trailer that pulled out in front of her in East Texas back in 2003. Family members sued the trailer manufacturer, Lufkin Industries, claiming the trailer was poorly designed.  

Attorney Chris Coco said, "In the course of the trial, what we also found was that it's not just Lufkin, but it's their lobbying branch - the Truck-Trailer Manufacturers Association - that represents all these manufacturers that really has prevented a lot of the safety from being implemented."

Another woman was killed in that crash. Lufkin Industries does not believe the jury's decision will have a negative impact on the company. Lufkin Industries plans to appeal the verdict and evaluate options before deciding if there will be a change in the way its trailers are made.