A family of four were killed in North Carolina after their SUV became involved in an accident on May 16. The accident, which ultimately involved six vehicles, took place on Interstate 95 near the South Carolina border.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol stated that a Volvo tanker truck was driving in the southbound lanes when the driver came across a work zone where road crews were painting the interstate. The tanker failed to reduce its speed, causing it to collide with a pickup truck. The force of the collision caused the pickup truck to be pushed into the vehicles in front of it, causing a chain-reaction crash. The Volvo tanker then struck another semi truck. This collision caused the second truck to hit a third commercial truck. The Volvo tanker then caught fire.
Four individuals who were in the pickup truck were identified the day after the accident. The family of four included a 32-year-old mother, a 24-year-old father, a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old. The driver of one of the semi trucks, a 68-year-old South Carolina man, also did not survive the accident.
As this incident shows, commercial truck accidents can result in life-changing injuries or even death. However, those who suffer injuries or lose family members to a serious trucking accident may be eligible to seek compensation for damages. They may even be able to seek compensation from the liable driver’s estate if the at-fault driver did not survive. Because going through the litigation process can be difficult and complex, a personal injury attorney may help those who are seeking to recover damages.