Wrongful Death
Truck Driver Arrested for Driving While Watching Porn on Laptop
A truck accident in New York State has made national news after the truck driver who struck and killed a woman on the Thruway was arrested for driving while watching porn on his laptop. According to a news report, the 45-year-old trucker was driving a tractor-trailer on the Thruway on “just a few hours of sleep.” New York State police say he struck a woman on the roadway who was standing outside her vehicle, which had been disabled after hitting a deer. Her injuries proved to be fatal.
An investigation later revealed that Wallace had been on duty for more than 27 hours with only four hours of sleep. Officials also found him to have been in violation of the federal Transportation Law because he was operating the big rig while keep fictitious log books. He also admitted to investigators that at the time of the fatal collision he had a laptop computer on his lap on which he was watching pornographic movies. The driver has been charged with vehicular manslaughter.
In such cases, the trucking firm can also be held liable for the victim’s wrongful death or injuries for allowing this driver to operate with false log books. An experienced Seattle truck accident attorney, in such cases, will immediately send out a notice to the trucking company to preserve the log books and all the evidence, which may be crucial to the case. Such evidence, if not requested, may be destroyed quickly.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington truck accident, please contact the experienced Washington truck accident lawyers of The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE brochure, which has useful educational information to help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.
Four Killed in Tractor-Trailer Accident
Four people were killed in a truck accident after a tractor-trailer jackknifed, swerved into oncoming traffic and collided with a small bus transporting disabled passengers. According to an Associated Press news report, the big rig crossed the highway median, struck the bus and another vehicle heading the opposite way. The bus driver was one of four people on the bus who died in the crash. One person remains in critical condition and six have been transported to hospitals for treatment of their injuries.
Tractor-trailer accidents in Washington State have caused devastating injuries and fatalities. In cases where truck accidents result in injuries or deaths, it is important to look into what caused it. Was the truck driver speeding? Was there a mechanical malfunction caused by poor vehicle maintenance? Was the driver of the tractor-trailer under the influence of alcohol or drugs? Did fatigue play a part? If the accident was the truck driver’s fault, both the driver and the trucking firm could be held liable for injuries and damages caused. In cases where victims were fatally injured, families of deceased truck accident victims may be able to file wrongful death claims.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington truck accident, please contact the experienced Washington personal injury attorneys of The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful educational information to help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today
Source:http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-01-07-ohio-bus-crash-disabled_N.htm?csp=34
Reckless Driving Caused Fatal Truck Accident, Officials Say
A number of truck accidents in Washington State and elsewhere in the nation occur because of reckless truck drivers. The recklessness could involve driving under the influence, distracted driving, traveling at an unsafe rate of speed, or driving an improperly maintained vehicle. Whatever the cause of a trucker’s recklessness, it is the occupant of the passenger vehicle who suffers the horrific consequences of a large truck accident. The smaller vehicles are usually unable to withstand the powerful impact of a truck accident. This results in serious injuries or even death.
A recent WKTR news report talks about a fiery truck accident on a highway in which a 24-year-old man, who was a passenger in a 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass, died after a big rig rear-ended the vehicle. The car caught on fire and the passenger died at the scene. The truck driver, a 54-year-old man, has been charged with reckless driving. Officials say alcohol was not a factor in the crash. The Oldsmobile had just had a flat tire and was moving slowly along the exterior lanes. But the driver of the tractor-trailer was apparently not paying attention and struck the vehicle at 55 mph.
If you have been injured in a Washington truck accident as a result of brake failure that was caused by poor vehicle maintenance then you may be able to file an injury claim against the trucking company for their negligence. In such cases you may be able to seek compensation to cover medical expenses, lost earnings, cost of rehabilitation, hospitalization, therapy and other expenses. In cases where the victim is deceased, family members could file wrongful death claims as well.
Please contact a skilled Seattle personal injury lawyer at The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accident cases with useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Please contact Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.
Source:http://www.wtkr.com/news/dp-now-fatal-wreck.d18,0,7835439.story?track=rss
Truck Driver Charged with DUI in Fatal Auto Accident
Driving under the influence is one of the reasons for devastating Washington truck accidents. Recent studies have shown that a number of trucking companies around the nation do not perform background checks on their truck drivers and often times do not even perform drug screening for drivers. It is frightening to imagine a drunk or impaired driver at the wheel of a big rig, which could weigh up to 80,000 pounds.
A recent news report talks about a deadly tractor-trailer accident where the truck driver, who officials say was under the influence, rear-ended a car causing one death and three injuries. The truck driver fled the scene of the crash. He was apprehended a short distance away from the scene of the crash and charged with four counts of DUI causing injury and a DUI involving a commercial vehicle.
A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Traffic Safety of interstate tractor-trailer drivers found that 15 percent of all drivers had marijuana, 12 percent had non-prescription stimulants, 5 percent had prescription stimulants, 2 percent had cocaine, and less than 1 percent had alcohol in their systems. There is no question that drugs – recreational or prescription – as well as alcohol, impair a driver’s judgment and reflexes on the road. This devastating accident is an example of the damages and injuries drunk truck drivers can cause. If you have been injured by an impaired or negligent truck driver, that negligent driver and his employer, the trucking company, can be held liable for those injuries.
If you are the victim of a Washington truck accident, please contact the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys with The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accident cases with useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Please contact Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.
Posted in: Wrongful Death
Seattle Truck Accident at Dangerous Intersection Kills Teenager
A 17-year-old boy was killed in a Seattle car accident after the car he was a passenger in crashed into a big rig near Mossyrock. According to KIRO TV news report, the teen was riding in a car driven by another 17-year-old, and traveling north on Williams Road at State Route 12. Their car apparently stopped at a stop sign and continued north when a logging truck struck the vehicle on the passenger’s side. The teen passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was taken to an area hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the large logging truck was uninjured.
The teen’s family states that a dangerous condition at that intersection may have caused or contributed to this deadly truck accident. The boy’s friends and family members believed that a stop light at that intersection may have prevented this horrible tragedy. Washington State Department of Transportation officials apparently also met with the teen’s family, friends and community members to discuss how to make that dangerous intersection safer. Officials have promised a thorough investigation into the safety of this intersection and have promised to take action.
It would be interesting to find out how many accidents have taken place at the intersection over the last five years and whether community members have already complained to officials and asked for a traffic light at that location. In cases where a dangerous intersection or roadway caused an accident and the governmental agency in charge of maintaining the roadway knew about those dangers, the accident victims have a basis to file an injury claim.
In cases where a victim dies, his or her family could file a wrongful death claim against the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway. Such claims against governmental agencies have time limits. It would be in the best interests of these victims and their families to promptly contact a Seattle personal injury lawyer and find out more about their legal rights and options.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington auto accident, please contact the skilled Washington personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful, educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.
Posted in: Wrongful Death
Truck Accident Proves Fatal for Vehicle Occupant
A number of Washington truck accidents occur because drivers of big rigs are not paying attention to the traffic or their surroundings. When big rig drivers make a mistake – even a small split second error – it can result in devastating consequences, especially for the occupants of the passenger car that has been hit. This is because of the sheer size and weight of the truck compared to a car. A loaded semi truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and is usually more than ten times the weight of a passenger sedan. And when such a large vehicle hits a car, one can only imagine the destruction that ensues.
According to a news report in the Sacramento Bee, local police are investigating a fatal truck accident involving a big rig and a car. The accident occurred when a big rig was pulling out of a parking lot. A Toyota Camry struck the center of the truck and became stuck underneath it. The car burst into flames and a person was trapped in the burning vehicle and died.
In this particular case, it also seems that a “truck underride” occurred. What this means is that the car went under the truck following the collision. This can cause significant injuries including severe head injuries. In this case, the vehicle caught fire when it got stuck under the truck. This also occurs frequently in underride accidents. Underride accidents could take place because the trucking company failed to install rear guards that adhere to federal truck safety standards. If the truck driver’s or the trucking company’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident and serious injuries, then the trucking firm could be held liable.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Seattle truck accident, please consult with the skilled Seattle personal injury lawyers at The Bernard Law Firm. Please contact us at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accident cases with useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Please contact Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.
Fatal Washington Truck Accident
A 46-year-old motorist was killed in a Washington truck accident after he lost control of his car that slid into the back of a semi-truck on the northbound Interstate 205, near State Road 500 in Vancouver. According to a KGW news report, the semi-truck had pulled into the right shoulder because of ice on the freeway. The motorist was changing lanes in his 1991 Mazda pickup truck when he lost control and struck the rear of the tractor-trailer. Police suspect the weather conditions coupled with the speed of the vehicle given those conditions, may have contributed to this fatal car accident.
This account gives another instance of how bad weather could also contribute to devastating crashes. Washington truck accidents are sometimes caused by driver error. In this particular car accident, that seems to have been the case, if the news report is accurate. But there are many cases where truck driver errors could lead to catastrophic auto accidents. What’s clear is that when a truck and a smaller passenger vehicle are involved in a collision, it is usually the occupants of the smaller sized vehicle who are badly affected, often suffering severe damage and injuries.
If you are a victim of a Washington truck accident that you suspect was due to the negligent actions of a driver, please consult with the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Firm. We will schedule a free and comprehensive consultation for you immediately. Our accident reconstruction experts will be on the scene right away in order to secure the important evidence that is needed in your truck accident case. Call Kirk Bernard and his dedicated legal team today to get a FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accidents and to find out how we can help you get the best possible results in your truck accident case.
Fatal Seattle Truck Accident
A 78-year-old woman, who was crossing at a Seattle street intersection, sustained fatal injuries after being hit by a semi-truck. According to a news report on KOMO News, the elderly woman was walking at the intersection of Rainier Avenue South and South Andover Street when the truck hit her. She died at the scene, Seattle police officials said. The truck driver apparently told police that he was trying to make a right turn from Andover to the northbound lanes of Rainier when he hit the pedestrian. Officials are still investigating the cause of this fatal pedestrian collision, but they don’t believe alcohol or drugs played a part.
Washington law requires motorists to yield right-of-way to pedestrians who are walking in an unmarked or marked crosswalk at a street intersection. In this case, it appears that the woman was walking at a street intersection. Officials are probably looking into why the driver, who was making the turn, did not see the woman.
According to the Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.235 (1): “The operator of an approaching vehicle shall stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian or bicycle to cross the roadway within an unmarked or marked crosswalk when the pedestrian or bicycle is upon or within one lane of the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or onto which it is turning. For purposes of this section “half of the roadway” means all traffic lanes carrying traffic in one direction of travel, and includes the entire width of a one-way roadway.”
If your loved one has been seriously injured in a Seattle pedestrian accident, please contact a Seattle personal injury attorney right away. In any vehicular accident it is crucial to get to the scene of the crash before it is cleared. Eyewitnesses are also critical to pedestrian accident cases. People who saw the accident can help answer important questions such as: Who had the green light? Was the pedestrian in the crosswalk? Was the driver going too fast? The answers to these questions will usually help determine whether or not there was negligence involved on the part of the driver.
If you need to schedule a consultation about your Seattle pedestrian accident case, please call The Bernard Law Group today. Kirk Bernard and his dedicated legal team will provide a free consultation and will get to work on your case immediately. You can also call us to get a free copy of a brochure that will give you comprehensive information about pedestrian accidents in Washington.
