Edward L. Allen

A 33–year–old registered nurse and mother of two was killed when a fully loaded commercial motor
vehicle lost control, crossed the center line, and struck her vehicle at highway speed. Her husband and two young children were traveling in a separate vehicle directly behind and witnessed the violent collision.
The Allen Law Firm did not shy away from the complexities of this case as we sought justice for the decedent’s family. Claims for corporate negligence and corporate wrongdoing, specifically for negligent hiring and retention, were filed. The defendant driver, who had been on the job for just two months, had a history that should have raised concerns for the employer. According to Edward Allen, “This litigation was hard fought from the beginning. It turned on the ultimate success of our proof of corporate negligence. This crash was caused not only by a commercial driver’s failure to stay on the correct side of the highway, but by the commercial carrier’s decision to hire an unfit driver and its failure to provide adequate training to its employees.” The father–and–son legal team, Edward and Parker Allen, successfully demonstrated that the driver was unfit. On the eve of trial, the defense admitted corporate negligence, including negligent hiring and retention. The case resolved at the courthouse on the first day of trial, shortly before jury selection was set to begin. “We showed up ready to pick a jury and try this case to verdict,” said Parker Allen. “That is the only way to achieve a result like this. We spent weekends with this family, learning who their loved one was and how deeply she impacted everyone around her. The trust we built allowed us to achieve an incredible result for a deserving family.” Allen & Allen remained dedicated and worked tirelessly to secure this historic wrongful death recovery. The $24 million settlement was reached at the courthouse on the first day of trial. This settlement is the largest reported wrongful death recovery in Virginia history, whether by settlement or verdict. It doubles the prior record for a wrongful death settlement.

After a motorcycle accident led to a below-the-knee amputation, our client a 39-year-old man from Ruther Glen turned to Allen & Allen for help. Edward Allen and Anna Katogiritia took the case to trial and secured a $6,000,000 jury verdict for him in Hanover County. This case involved a collision between our client’s motorcycle and the defendant’s car. The at-fault driver turned left in front of our client and caused the collision. The defendant driver’s insurance coverage was limited. However, after Allen & Allen’s team investigated, we revealed that the defendant had personal assets in excess of the available coverage, Edward and Anna made the strategic decision to proceed to trial. At trial, the defendant argued that our client contributed to the crash by speeding. However, Edward and Anna were able to prove that liability was solely with the defendant. During the trial, on motions made by Edward, the judge delivered a directed verdict on the issue of liability and concluded that the defense had not presented any evidence to support a contributory negligence claim. With the issue of fault resolved, the jury focused only on the damages of this case. Anna and Edward utilized their combined skills and experience to help the jury resonate with our client and his loss. After a mere 30 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict for the full amount that we sought for him, $6,000.000. Our team once again sought and achieved justice for a deserving client.