Insurance companies and driver’s education courses preach the importance of defensive driving to maintain safety while traveling on highways or other roadways. The idea is that this type of driving will prevent accidents. However, sometimes incidences occur that are completely out of our control — accidents that even the most skilled drivers cannot avoid. The family of a North Carolina man could consider a wrongful death suit after such an accident that was caused by a tractor trailer driver.
In mid-May, a tractor trailer was traveling on a North Carolina highway when the driver lost control. According to reports, the truck flew over the concrete median into the opposite lane of traffic. There it pushed one car over 50 feet before striking two more and rolling on its side. The accident caused traffic delays for several hours.
The tractor trailer driver was uninjured, but a 41-year-old man in the first vehicle it struck died as a result of the accident. Only minor injuries were reported from a passenger in the truck and the drivers of the other two vehicles. It is unclear at this time if the truck driver will face criminal charges. Excessive speed was allegedly one of the causes of the crash.
While the family of the deceased man will never be able to regain the time they will miss with their loved one, they may be able to help alleviate the financial burden caused by his unexpected death by filing a wrongful death case. The family will face the cost of laying their loved one to rest as well as life without his expected income. A verdict in the family’s favor against the driver of the tractor trailer by a North Carolina civil court could provide compensation for these burdens.
Source: Winston-Salem Journal, “Police: Truck was traveling 70 mph in heavy rain before fatal U.S. 52 wreck,” John Hinton, May 18, 2013