Trucking firm ordered to pay $104M in wrongful death case over El Paso man’s death

EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A Las Cruces trucking company has been ordered to pay $104 million in a wrongful death case stemming from a 2020 crash in Oklahoma that killed 38-year-old El Pasoan Orlando Robles.

According to Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro P.C. Truck Crash & Injury Attorneys, the crash happened on October 28, 2020, at about 4 a.m. on Interstate 40 in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, after a truck driver with Mesilla Valley Transportation fell asleep behind the wheel, drifted off the roadway, and slammed into another vehicle with its emergency lights flashing on the shoulder. The impact, which destroyed the sleeper compartment of the vehicle, ultimately led to Robles’ death.

The $104 million judgment comes after a jury trial began in June, nearly six years after the crash, where attorneys demonstrated that the truck driver had been on his cellphone all night instead of sleeping.

According to the law firm, an El Paso jury awarded $20 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages to Robles’ son, finding MVT Services and the truck driver, identified as Juan Garcia, responsible for what attorneys described as a preventable collision.

“The verdict recognizes this tragedy should never have happened,” said Alejandro Acosta III, a partner at Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro and attorney for Robles’ son. “Professional truck drivers and trucking companies have a responsibility to keep fatigued drivers off the road. When that responsibility is ignored, families pay the price. While no verdict can bring back Orlando, today’s decision holds those responsible accountable.”

The law firm said it represented Robles’ only son, who was 7 years old at the time of the crash. Other surviving family members, including Robles’ wife, his estate, his mother and his daughters, were represented separately.

According to Glasheen, Valles & Inderman Injury Lawyers, the $104 million also includes $76,500,000 for Robles’ wife, mother, and five children of Robles who were represented by attorneys David Glasheen and Jason Medina of Glasheen, Valles & Inderman Injury Lawyers of El Paso.

According to the attorneys, the child’s mother, Paulina Merino, attended court each day during the trial.

“My son lost his dad when he was only 7 years old,” Merino said. “Orlando loved being a father. Our son was his only son, and he was incredibly proud of him. Every milestone, every birthday, every holiday, every achievement will always be missing the person who should have been there. Our son turns 13 years old this week and my heart breaks every time I think about the moments he has missed with his dad and the memories he has to create without his father. I’m grateful the jury recognized what was taken from my son.”

Another significant moment during the trial came during Acosta’s cross-examination of MVT’s national chief safety officer. During questioning, the executive testified that “you don’t need sleep to rest” because company policies did not specifically require drivers to sleep before operating a commercial vehicle. The witness later acknowledged the company’s liability for the crash.

Attorneys said that while the verdict recognizes the many ways Robles’ death changed his son’s life, it will not replace the loss of his father.

“This verdict is the voice of our community. El Pasoans have made it clear that safety comes first, and trucking companies must follow the regulations that help prevent tragedies like this,” David Glasheen said.

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