Driver distraction is a big enough problem when smaller vehicles are involved in a crash, but add in the extra size of a tractor-trailer and this “problem” can become downright deadly. In one recent example of fatal driver distraction, a 29-year-old truck driver reportedly took the life of a 29-year-old Missouri woman after running a stop sign and causing a truck accident. According to police reports, the man had his attention focused on his ringing cell phone rather than the road and plowed into the woman’s much smaller Honda Civic.
Authorities indicate that he told them he never even saw the woman’s vehicle coming. At the time, he was traveling south at the intersection of Route H and Route FF near Oak Grove, Missouri. The woman’s Civic was headed east along FF when the truck slammed into it. The truck driver allegedly said he felt the impact on the side of his truck just before his hood popped up. At that point, he stopped and ran around the truck—only to see the woman’s car trapped underneath his trailer.
The Missouri Highway Patrol stated that it believes the crash happened as a direct result of the man failing to obey the stop sign. In early March, three months after the deadly truck accident, the driver was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the first degree, which is a felony. Both the driver and his employer are also facing a civil wrongful death lawsuit in the wake of the 29-year-old woman’s death.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that too many drivers in Missouri, Illinois, and the rest of the country regularly engage in distracted driving. In some jurisdictions, talking or texting while driving is illegal; but even in areas where they are not, drivers owe a duty of care to others on the road to exercise all due caution. A failure to exercise that car can result in a tragic case like this deadly truck accident. This can leave family members with huge expenses in the form of final medical expenses, funeral costs, and supporting any surviving minors. It also leaves a huge emotional hole in the lives of those left behind.
This is why personal injury law provides the victims of driver distraction and truck accidents the chance to seek financial restitution in civil courts of law. This can help cover any expenses associated with the truck accident and help give family members financial peace of mind as they mourn a lost loved one. If this is the situation you or a loved one is currently in, please call us as soon as possible at 1-888-586-7041 find out more about your rights under the law. Our St. Louis personal injury law firm is experienced at pursuing justice on behalf of our clients and we take pride in helping innocent parties obtain the restitution they deserve.
Disclaimer: The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
Source Article: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article12312404.html and http://www.examiner.net/article/20150304/NEWS/150309619/1994/NEWS