D’Amore attorneys Tom D’Amore and Sean Stokes recently spoke with The Oregonian about the tragic 2021 accident that claimed the life of 25-year-old EMT and volunteer Firefighter Sarah Susman, on her way to work.
Wolf Creek Timber Services, the logging company that employed the truck driver whose negligence caused the tragic crash, was on the verge of losing its operating license due to nearly 200 safety violations, according to state transportation records. Two days after the crash, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) cited Wolf Creek Timber Services with a $19,900 fine, and immediately suspended its operations.
D’Amore and Stokes, who represent the family of Sarah Susman, questioned how a company “with such a reprehensible safety record” was allowed to operate for so long before the state shut it down. Despite the company’s lengthy history of safety violations dating back to May 2019, it took more than two and a half years for ODOT to suspend Wolf Creek Timber Services’ operations. D’Amore said the state needs to do better, “If they did follow their rules,” he said, “they need to fix their rules.”
D’Amore Law Group filed a wrongful death civil suit on behalf of Sarah Susman’s estate against the driver, Wolf Creek Timber Services and the loggin companies Starker Forests Inc., and R & T Logging of Oregon Inc in May 2023. The driver, Shane McVay, was charged with first-degree manslaughter, driving under the influence of intoxicants, and two counts of recklessly endangering another person by the Lane County Circuit Court as a result of the accident.
“Logging trucks are incredibly dangerous. You should have to do your due diligence before selecting one to ensure safety,” Stokes said. “Had those companies done even a minimal inquiry, they should not have contracted with Wolf Creek.”
D’Amore Law Group continues to seek justice on behalf of the Susman family, fighting to hold Wolf Creek, McVay, and other defendants fully accountable for the roles they played in Sarah’s tragic death.
