New Jersey and New York see their fair share of large trucks. Semi-trucks and tractor-trailer trucks are very important and resourceful when it comes to interstate and intrastate commerce. These massive vehicles have the ability to transport goods and shipments from one destination to another in an effective manner. However, this is not a perfect method. There is room for human error to creep in, especially when truck drivers are overworked, fatigued or distracted or trucking companies fail to maintain their trucks or encourage longer travel times or faster speeds. Thus, truck accidents are unfortunately a normal occurrence on roadways across the nation.
Fatal truck crash
According to recent reports, a tractor-trailer truck traveling from New Jersey to New York was in a collision in early September that resulted in two fatalities. The Truck was traveling on the New York State Thruway just west of Rochester when the driver made an illegal U-turn, causing a crash. The truck driver then fled the scene.
Reports indicated that the crash happened just after 4 a.m. When the truck made the illegal U-turn, a car traveling west on the New York State Thruway struck the truck, sliding underneath the tractor trailer as is was attempting to make a U-turn across multiple lanes of traffic. Following the crash, the truck driver continued east, pulling of at the next exit. It was purported that he removed a piece of debris from the truck before continuing on his way.
Civil and criminal liabilities
The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger was transported to the hospital with serious injuries and later died. The truck driver was recently located and was charged with two counts of manslaughter and for leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
The aftermath of a truck accident can be serious and even catastrophic. The damage that these large vehicles can do is insurmountable. The loss of a loved one in a fatal crash can be a difficult event to cope with, making it important that surviving loved ones fully understand and explore their matter and what options they have to ensure his or her rights are protected. Through a wrongful death action, the loved ones of the deceased could hold a negligent truck driver or trucking company accountable for the incident and the damages suffered.