$5 Million Settlement for Worker Struck and Killed by Industrial Truck at Joint Base Charleston

In the early morning hours of March 20, 2018, Mary Glore was crossing a parking lot at Joint Base Charleston on her way to her cleaning shift for Goodwill Industries, which held a contract to provide custodial services at the base. A driver employed by Cooper/Ports America was operating a terminal tractor, an oversized industrial truck used to move shipping containers within port facilities and not cleared for street use. He made a hard U-turn in the parking lot, struck Glore, and she died at the scene.

The vehicle had non-functional headlights. Despite the darkness and rain that morning, the driver took the truck out and made the turn. Investigators found the terminal tractor lacked the lighting required even for on-base operation in those conditions.

Mark Bringardner of the Joye Law Firm filed suit in Charleston County Circuit Court, case 2019-CP-10-1949, naming the driver, Terminal Investment Corporation, and Cooper/Ports America as defendants. The defense disputed key facts: the driver denied striking Glore, and the companies argued she had been outside any designated pedestrian zone and was not wearing high-visibility clothing.

Glore had worked for Goodwill for roughly 30 years. She also served as the sole caregiver for her sister, who depended on her financially and day to day. The defense fought the claim hard, with the driver and companies working to shift blame onto Glore for the collision.

The parties reached a $5 million settlement on June 11, 2020, mediated by Charleston attorney Tom Wills and recorded in Charleston County Circuit Court. The recovery was structured to provide long-term financial support for Glore's surviving sister. South Carolina Lawyers Weekly named the settlement among the top verdicts and settlements in South Carolina for 2020.