$15 Million Awarded to an Ohio family

January 28, 2011

Federal District Judge Theresa Springmann ordered the Net Trucking Company to pay the Karpov family more than $15 million in compensatory and punitive damages for a multiple fatality crash caused by its driver. Net Trucking was found liable for allowing one of its truck drivers to drive more hours than legally allowed and for knowingly permitting the driver to alter his driving log books to cover up the violation. The Net Trucking driver that caused the crash was also under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

Plaintiff Margarita Karpov was a passenger in a car driven by her husband Dmitry Karpov. As Dmitry slowed their car behind a number of vehicles that had stopped for a construction zone, an 18 wheel tractor trailer owned by Defendant Net Trucking, Inc. and driven by Co-defendant Stanislaw Gil, entered the construction zone at a high rate of speed and ploughed into the back of the vehicle directly behind the Karpov car. That collision set off a chain reaction crash involving several vehicles including the Kaprov's car which was caught in the middle. Dmitry was killed at the scene while his wife, Margarita, suffered serious injuries. Dmitry was also survived by the couple's infant child, Michael. Three people in other vehicles involved in the collision were also killed.

Evidence gathered by the Indiana State Highway patrol revealed that Net Trucking and Gil violated multiple provisions of the Federal Motor Carrier Act and its regulations. The most serious violation involved the maintenance of false driving logs which revealed that in the 24 hours immediately preceding this collision, Gil had operated the vehicle in excess of the maximum allowable hours on the roadway. He also tested positive for alcohol. The truck driver, Stanislaw Gil, pleaded guilty to four counts of reckless homicide and is serving a 14-year prison sentence.

Soon after the crash, the owners of Net Trucking moved the company's assets -- including 15 to 20 trucks -- into four other business entities, according to Peter Weinberger, the Cleveland lawyer who represents the Karpov family. "The whole purpose was to fraudulently transfer the assets to avoid paying a judgment," Weinberger said. The judgment comes after four years of legal wrangling. The Judge's ruling also cleared the way for the family to seek the $15 million judgment from the four businesses launched after the crash.

The case was filed in Ohio and later transferred to the United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Fort Wayne Division,(Case Number 1:06CV0195). For additional information contact attorney Peter H. Weinberger, who was counsel for the Karpov family. Mr. Weinberger is the Managing Partner of Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP.

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