You may have read our recent blog post about the truck driver’s astounding accident free record. We can only hope that truck drivers traveling through dangerous Colorado areas, like on I-70 through the Vail Pass, have similar safety records. Unfortunately, most aren’t so lucky and do not achieve this. While a perfect track record can’t be expected of all drivers, but we expect that truck drivers will drive especially safe with the knowledge that their minor mistake can create a major accident.
Major accidents, like the recent crash in Channahon, Illinois, make drivers everywhere quite wary of dangerous highway driving in the company of trucks. An Espinal Trucking driver was plowing through a construction zone on Interstate 55 when he made a sudden lane change. This volatile move sparked a domino effect, involving a van and two cars.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, four people were killed immediately, a fifth passing away two weeks after the crash. Three additional people were injured. Family members of the deceased have begun filing wrongful death lawsuits and suing the freight company and the driver’s employer. The driver of the truck has also been charged with wrongful death suits. The driver has also been charged with felonies because he not only dishonestly reported his driving record, but also failed to keep proper track of his duty status.
When we hear of wrongful death lawsuit situations like these, we feel waves of disbelief that a quick mistake like this could cause such long-term grief for families and friends. At Sears & Associates, P.C., our thoughts are with the families who are experiencing the grief of losing a loved one, as well as going through the stress of the wrongful death court process.
While we hope that truck companies and authorities are taking strides in ensuring truck driver safety, what can we do as drivers to attempt to avoid being in the news as the next Colorado wrongful death suit? Especially when driving on the highway, like on I-70 through the Vail Pass, we can’t escape the presence of these daunting trucks. You as a driver want to kick in your defensive driving skills. Avoid a truck’s blind spot, keep a long following distance, and remain especially alert when around trucks.
If you have the misfortune of having to file a wrongful death suit after a car or truck accident in Colorado Springs, be sure to contact a wrongful death attorney at Sears & Associates, P.C.
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