What one trucker said on social media has come back to haunt him.
According to the Daily Report, Trucker Jerry O’Reilly and car driver Kristin Meredith were going down interstate 285 in Fulton County, Georgia, when O’Reilly tried to switch lanes and clipped Meredith. The impact had her lose control of her car as it rolled over several times, injuring Meredith heavily. She had to have surgery done to fuse the vertebrae in her lower back. She later sued O’Reilly, his employer, and the insurance company, National Interstate Insurance Co., for $75,000 in compensation for her injuries.
During his hearing, O’Reilly claimed he wasn’t on his phone or taking pictures but later admitted to taking photos prior to the crash after prosecutors presented dozens of his Facebook posts and photos.
Many pictures were taken the from inside his cab. One photo of his truck’s new bumper read: “My new bumper. Now pull your a** in front of me.” In another photo of a sedan boxed in by a rig, he commented, “I’ve been there and done that also. I don’t get mad. I get even.”
These posts were described as “a pattern of distracted drivers” by attorneys.
The case didn’t go on trial as all parties came to a settlement, with Kristin Meredith receiving $1 million.