Joe Fried's Closing Undercuts Discount on Damages Arguments in $20M Truck Crash Trial

Life expectancy played a central role in last week's trial on damages for the catastrophic brain injury Ehsan Khan, 57, suffered in a 2013 tractor-trailer crash. Khan's attorneys, including Fried Rogers Goldberg's Joe Fried, sought nearly $25 million in damages, including more than $3.6 million for future medical expenses, based on Khan's life expectancy. However, attorneys for trucking firm Moore Freight Service, Inc. and driver John Teal argued damages should be reduced because the crash had significantly shortened Khan's life. 

In his closing, Fried hammered at what he described as the defense's request for a discount on damages. "Folks, if [the defense] is right, this is not a $25 million case, but not for the reason they're saying," Fried told jurors.  "I would say it's a $40 million case, because you destroy somebody's life for years and years, and then you kill them 10 years early. If you want to accept their position [on Khan’s life expectancy] you can’t just discount the fact that they’re taking 10 years [away]."

Fried's closing helped set the stage for a $20 million verdict.