Iowa Supreme Court Affirms $26.1 Million Record Truck Accident Verdict in Underride Crash Case

The Iowa Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a $26,129,236.80 judgment in favor of Margaret McQuillen and her family, affirming what stands as the largest motor vehicle collision verdict in Iowa history. The April 3, 2026 ruling rejected the trucking company's appeal and confirmed the Linn County jury's findings from a two-week trial in June 2024. The case arose from a catastrophic underride collision near Anamosa, Iowa that left McQuillen, then 18 years old, with a severe traumatic brain injury and permanent neurological damage.

Case at a Glance

• Verdict: $26,129,236.80 (reduced from $35,793,475 by 27% comparative fault)
• Case Type: Trucking Accident / Catastrophic Personal Injury
• Trial Court: Linn County District Court, Iowa - Judge Justin Lightfoot
• Appellate Court: Iowa Supreme Court, Case No. 24-1669
• Iowa Supreme Court Decision: April 3, 2026 (unanimous, Justice David May)
• Plaintiff: Margaret McQuillen
• Defendants: West Side Transport, Inc.; Clifford Charles Takes (truck driver)
• Plaintiff Attorneys: Daniel Rodriguez, Joel Andreesen, Chantal Trujillo, Jessica Alcala, David Sherrill - Rodriguez & Associates; Matt Novak - Pickens Barnes and Abernathy, Cedar Rapids

What Happened on Highway 151 Near Anamosa

On the afternoon of March 19, 2020, heavy fog had settled near Anamosa, Iowa. Margaret McQuillen, then 18 and a student athlete at Anamosa High School, was driving southbound on Highway 151 when West Side Transport driver Clifford Takes attempted an unprotected left turn directly across oncoming traffic moving at 65 miles per hour. Takes was cited by the Iowa State Patrol for failing to yield and later pleaded guilty to that charge. The trucking company had no fog delay policy in place.

McQuillen's car slid under the side of the trailer in what is known as an underride collision, one of the most deadly crash configurations involving large commercial trucks. When she arrived at the hospital, a physician declared her medically dead. She had no pulse and was not breathing. Medical staff resuscitated her.

Her injuries included a severe traumatic brain injury, approximately 100 skull fractures, and lacerations. She underwent numerous surgeries, including a 16-hour facial reconstruction procedure, and weeks of rehabilitation at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. She faces permanent neurological difficulties.

How the Jury Decided the Iowa Truck Accident Case

After a two-week trial in Linn County in June 2024, the jury assigned 73% of the fault to West Side Transport and Clifford Takes, and 27% to McQuillen. The jury found total damages of $35,793,475. After applying Iowa's comparative fault reduction, Judge Justin Lightfoot entered judgment of $26,129,236.80, a record motor vehicle collision verdict in the state.

The defense had offered a $3 million pre-trial settlement. That offer rose to $5 million one week into trial. The jury ultimately awarded more than seven times the mid-trial offer.

Why Did the Iowa Supreme Court Affirm the $26.1 Million Iowa Truck Accident Verdict?

West Side Transport appealed on three grounds: that plaintiff's counsel improperly referred to a witness as a "Snapchat expert" during closing arguments, that counsel argued negligence theories beyond those submitted to the jury, and that the trial court wrongly excluded a defense argument about the time value of money.

The Iowa Supreme Court, in a unanimous opinion written by Justice David May, rejected all three arguments. The court found no abuse of discretion in the trial court's handling of the closing argument issues and affirmed the judgment in full.

"This decision affirms the judgment for Margaret McQuillen and her family after a devastating crash. We're grateful to have presented the case and stood with them through trial and appeal," said Joel Andreesen, Senior Partner at Rodriguez & Associates.

What This Iowa Truck Accident Verdict Means for Plaintiff Attorneys

An appellate affirmation of a record verdict carries more weight than the original jury award alone. It confirms the trial was well-conducted, the liability theory was sound, and the damages were defensible on appeal. All of those factors matter when evaluating the strength of a catastrophic trucking case going forward.

There is also a personal dimension to this result worth noting. Joel Andreesen grew up in Anamosa, graduated from Anamosa High School, and is a childhood friend of Margaret's father, Matthew McQuillen. The two were roommates at the University of Iowa College of Law. Andreesen has spent his career at a Bakersfield, California firm, but was sworn into the Iowa State Bar in December 2024, bringing his record of trial results back to the community that shaped him.

For Iowa plaintiff attorneys handling trucking and catastrophic injury cases, this verdict sets a documented benchmark for what Iowa juries will award in severe TBI cases involving clear truck driver negligence.

FAQ

Q: What is an underride truck accident and why are the injuries so severe? A: An underride collision occurs when a smaller vehicle slides under the side, rear, or front of a large commercial trailer. Because the trailer sits at a height that can shear off the roof of a passenger car, these crashes frequently produce catastrophic head and brain injuries or death. Federal regulations require underride guards on the rear of trailers, but side underride guards are not universally mandated, making side-impact underride crashes particularly dangerous for occupants of smaller vehicles.

Q: How does comparative fault affect a truck accident verdict in Iowa? A: Iowa follows a modified comparative fault rule. If the plaintiff is found partially at fault, the damages award is reduced by the plaintiff's percentage of fault. If the plaintiff is more than 50% at fault, they cannot recover at all. In this case, the jury found McQuillen 27% at fault and the defendants 73% at fault, reducing the total damages found of $35,793,475 to a final judgment of $26,129,236.80.

Margaret McQuillen has since graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in exercise science and is now working as a personal trainer. Verdicts like this one show what juries are prepared to award when the evidence is strong, the injuries are permanent, and the attorney is prepared for trial. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a truck accident, the trial record of your attorney matters. Find a plaintiff lawyer on Major Verdict who has the results to back it up.