Defense Triumph in Philadelphia: Overcoming Bias in Truck Accident Case

June 2025 • Source: Zarwin Baum

On June 2, 2025, following a three-day trial, Zarwin Baum Partner Joseph M. Toddy, Esq., with the assistance of his trial paralegal, Marina Abi Rached, obtained a defense victory in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas representing a national trucking company and their employee involved in a “trucking vs. motor vehicle” accident. The case arose from an accident at the intersection of Bridge Street and Torresdale Avenue. While stopped at a light, the truck operated by an employee of our client is alleged to have reversed into Plaintiff’s vehicle. According to Plaintiff’s claims the accident caused severe injuries, including herniations to five discs in her neck, ongoing headaches, and limited movement to the left shoulder and lower back.

Despite Plaintiff’s allegations, Mr. Toddy was able to persuade the jury that the injuries claimed by Plaintiff were due to pre-existing degenerative disc disease and not from the impact from the truck. Truck accident cases can be extremely difficult to defend because so many people and drivers have negative opinions or feelings about trucks on our roadways. Mr. Toddy was able to overcome this prejudice and prove that the Plaintiff was overreaching with her claims and simply trying to take advantage of the accident.