A Routine Drive, A Catastrophic Betrayal

Lacey was on a routine drive, taking her three young children – Maylee, Colt, and Bennett to daycare. In a horrifying instant, a massive concrete truck driver, distracted and speeding, crashed into their car, crushing the vehicle and shoving it into an oncoming pickup. The back seat was forced into the front, trapping Maylee, fracturing Colt’s skull, and breaking Bennett’s leg in two places. Despite the desperate efforts of first responders, Maylee did not survive.

The tragedy of losing a child was compounded by immediate corporate bad faith. Shortly after the crash, the concrete company owner sent his son to secretly remove the SD card from the truck’s dash camera before police could review it. When confronted, they produced an old card and claimed the camera wasn’t working, attempting to hide the evidence of their driver’s negligence.

The injustice of this cover-up—trying to erase the truth of a child’s death—turned a heartbreaking loss into a profound legal battle. The family faced a defendant whose playbook was simple: delay responsibility, deny the facts, and then, at trial, admit fault late to minimize the human tragedy and ask the jury for “reverse sympathy.”

Exposing the Truth and Defying the Playbook

Many firms would have struggled to overcome the defense’s cynical tactics, especially after years of fighting liability (a fight the defendants even took all the way to the Louisiana Supreme Court). But we were determined to prove that this case was uniquely tragic and that the defense’s conduct deserved accountability.

Our unwavering resolve focused on two key areas: exposing the cover-up and honoring the family’s pain.

Exposing the Lie: Despite the company’s claim that the footage was irrelevant or didn’t exist, we forced the truck driver to admit on the stand that the camera was working fine, thereby confirming the company’s deliberate act of spoliation (destroying evidence).

Honoring the Tragedy: We refused to let the defense minimize the unquantifiable human cost. We detailed the horrific aftermath: a mother (a trauma nurse) injured and unable to save her children, forced to leave the scene while her daughter was still trapped and her unconscious son was airlifted away. We showed the jury that this was a special family, and their loss was incalculable.

We demonstrated that the defense’s late admission of fault and attempts to minimize the damages were simply a strategy to deflect responsibility. Our relentless advocacy proved that justice was not just about fault, but about holding the defendants fully accountable for the magnitude of their negligence and their subsequent attempts to hide the truth.

A Jury’s Understanding and Vindication

Our commitment to presenting the full, horrifying truth of the Boudreaux family’s loss resonated deeply with the jury. The verdict was a powerful indictment of the defendant’s negligence and corporate misconduct.

The jury’s verdict included a staggering $34,900,000 in non-economic damages. This record-setting award was a clear statement. It was a complete rejection of the defense’s cynical strategy to minimize the value of a young life and the family’s suffering. This outcome was more than a financial victory; it was a profound vindication for the Everrett family and a testament to Maylee’s memory, ensuring true accountability for their loss.

“We knew honoring Maylee’s memory by telling her story, exposing the truth, and forcing accountability for her death would be a fight worth fighting 100 times over.”

Aaron Broussard, Eddie Knoll Jr. & Laura Knoll

Partners & Trial Lawyers