A lot of things can cause accidents on the road. When they involve big rig trucks, they too often result in someone being seriously hurt or killed. Besides the responsibility for extra care that common sense dictates, truck drivers and the companies that employ them have a legal obligation to be sure their vehicles are being operated safely.
If they neglect that responsibility, they should expect to be held accountable, and those who suffer as a result of an accident have a right to seek compensation for their suffering.
Driver distraction appears to be a big factor in one recent fiery truck crash. It happened on the Ohio Turnpike last Thursday. According to state troopers, a semitrailer truck hauling auto parts was headed east when it collided with a maintenance vehicle that was driving on the berm of the road. The semi proceeded to smash through a guardrail, rolled down an embankment and erupted in flames.
The 39-year-old Youngstown man who was driving the truck has been cited by authorities for failing to stay within the marked lanes of the road. He reportedly told authorities before being taken away from the scene with minor injuries that the crash occurred as he was placing a beverage near him in the cab.
Miraculously, the two workers who were in the maintenance vehicle that was struck suffered no injuries.
Distracted driving gets a lot of attention these days. Most of the efforts at raising public awareness about the dangers of distraction seem to be aimed at young drivers and texting. But as this story suggests, it’s not just texting that’s the problem. And it’s not just young drivers who need to exercise caution.
Source: WFMJ.com, “Youngstown trucker cited in fiery Ohio Turnpike crash,” Mike Gauntner, Oct. 17, 2013