Truck Accidents

Published on: May 25, 2010

Motorcyclist Hits Back of Truck in Fatal Accident

In another case of a driver not seeing a motorcyclist, this biker hit the back of a truck. He died shortly after the impact.

In this case a 57-year-old biker was out for a Saturday afternoon ride. About halfway along to his final destination, a teenager driving a pickup truck turned left right in front of the motorcyclist. The biker had no place else to go and couldn’t stop immediately and hit the right rear of the truck.

The force of the impact was so great that the biker was ejected and landed hard on the pavement. When the EMS crews arrived, they pronounced the man dead at the scene. The 18-year-old teen was not injured in this accident.

Published on: February 10, 2010

Clipping a Rear Axle on Semi Causes Teen Death

By Stephen M. Ozcomert

This case could have had another outcome if negligence had been identified. Personal injury cases involving 18-wheelers are extremely complex.

Tangling with an 18-wheeler never has a happy ending. This particular case is even more tragic in that it appeared on the surface to be the result of driver error. Although the investigation is not yet complete, there may be other evidence that surfaces that will change the initial evaluation of the crash.

A young 17-year-old girl was killed when she and her passenger crashed into a 1992 Kenworth tractor-trailer. The young driver was pronounced dead at the scene and the passenger was transported to medical care at the nearest hospital. The truck driver made it out of the crash unscathed. The accident happened just after 11 p.m. at night.

Published on: January 30, 2010

Who Is at Fault in an 18-Wheeler Accident Is Critical

By Stephen M. Ozcomert

When a car meets an 18-wheeler head on, the results are not pretty. In cases like this, it is critical to know who was at fault for the accident.

Let’s take a look at a real life case example. Picture a big rig barreling down the interstate heading west. On the other side of the highway route, a car is traveling east. The car, for some unknown reason, suddenly veers left of the centerline, causing the semi to swerve to avoid the car. While the intention was there to avoid an accident, in reality, the defensive driving maneuver the trucker took failed. The car was subsequently stuck under the big rig.

It will come as no surprise that the driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. An open and active cell phone was found by police lying on what was left of the front seat of the car. The accident also caused an oil and gas spill.

Published on: December 27, 2009

18-Wheeler Rear Ends Minivan Causing Death of Child

By Stephen M. Ozcomert

In a very horrific minivan and semi collision, the evidence points to the driver of the truck blowing a stop sign. This case could be pursued in a criminal court and as a wrongful death lawsuit in civil court.

The circumstances of this case made even toughened state troopers weep. A young toddler, just three years old, was killed when the minivan he was riding in was rear-ended by a big rig. “The wreck was horrific and the young boy never stood a chance to survive an impact that severe. The semi-truck hit the van at such a speed that that whole rear end of the vehicle crumpled and was shoved forward, crushing the boy,” said Stephen Ozcomert, an Atlanta personal injury attorney.

The mini-van was being driven by the young boy’s mom at the time of the crash. She was taken to the nearest city hospital in critical condition. Despite the fact that all the occupants of the van were belted in, and no one was ejected, the devastation was monumental. The boy’s father and two other young kids were injured, but not critically.

Published on: October 15, 2009

Big Rig Accidents Present Legal Challenges

By Stephen M. Ozcomert

Any collision with a big rig causes untold damages, usually severe injuries or death, and many legal challenges.

Any case involving a semi is typically very complex, much more complex than a “typical” car versus car accident. For starters, the kinds of injuries sustained are catastrophic and the damages are monumental. This means when all is said and done that the stakes in 18-wheeler crashes are way higher for insurance companies; more particularly the insurance company that has the trucker’s insurance policy.

And one thing is as sure as the sun rising every day – the trucking corporation will pull out all the stops to reduce or deny any liability they may have in the accident. After all, they are in business to make money, not put it out to cover lawsuits. Anyone who has the misfortune to try and deal with a trucking company will find out soon enough that stall, delay and deny are three of the favored approaches to dealing with any accident claims.