A Middlesex Superior Court jury awarded $56 million to Malcolm Carnwath, a 78-year-old Newburyport resident, after he suffered catastrophic injuries in a head-on collision with an Amazon delivery truck in November 2024. According to court filings, the Amazon delivery driver fell asleep while driving in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, crossed the center line, and struck Carnwath’s vehicle at a combined speed approaching 100 mph. Before trial, Amazon stipulated to liability, so jurors were asked only to determine the amount of damages.
The crash left Carnwath with life-threatening injuries that required more than two dozen surgeries, including a below-the-knee amputation. He also suffered multiple fractures, organ damage, strokes resulting in permanent brain injury, and now requires around-the-clock care. His medical expenses have exceeded $4 million, and he remained hospitalized or in rehabilitation for more than a year following the collision. According to his attorneys, the verdict will allow him to transition from inpatient rehabilitation to long-term care closer to his home community.
For insurance claims professionals, the case highlights the extraordinary exposure associated with catastrophic commercial vehicle losses involving permanent disability and lifelong medical care. Even when liability is admitted, the valuation of future medical expenses, life care planning, lost quality of life, pain and suffering, and permanent impairment can produce verdicts that far exceed initial settlement positions. Plaintiff’s attorneys reportedly sought $300 million, while Amazon argued damages should be closer to $37 million before the jury returned its $56 million award.
The litigation also illustrates the continuing scrutiny of Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner model. In addition to Amazon Logistics, the lawsuit named the regional delivery contractor that owned the vehicle and employed the driver. Claims involving contracted delivery fleets often require adjusters to evaluate layered liability issues, commercial auto coverage, employer responsibility, indemnification agreements, and corporate relationships between national retailers and independent logistics providers.
The verdict is believed by plaintiff’s counsel to be both the largest injury verdict against Amazon and the largest single-plaintiff verdict in Massachusetts history. While Amazon stated it respects the judicial process, the award serves as another example of the substantial financial exposure that can result from catastrophic commercial auto claims involving permanent, life-altering injuries.
