Although many drivers may be intimidated when driving alongside tractor trailers, big rig trucks are essential to shipping goods throughout Missouri and the United States. Unfortunately, cars are no match for a tractor trailer in a truck accident, and the drivers of smaller vehicles can be seriously injured or even killed in a crash.
Recently, a Missouri interstate was the scene of a deadly tractor-trailer crash. A 59-year-old woman was driving her Ford Edge on Interstate 29 when a tractor trailer crossed the median into her lane. The truck hit the crossover vehicle head-on forcing both vehicles off the road, tumbling down an embankment and crashing through a fence. The driver of the Ford was killed, and the 58-year-old truck driver and 55-year-old passenger were taken to a local Missouri hospital with moderately severe injuries.
If a loved one dies as the result of commercial vehicle negligence, the victim’s family may be able to recover monetary compensation by filing a wrongful death lawsuit. The amount of damages a family could receive depends on the specific facts of the case and the victim’s unique characteristics. Considerations include the victim’s age, life expectancy, health and intelligence. If the victim supported his or her family financially, the family may also recover loss of income. The victim’s family must prove the victim’s value to the household, often through expert testimony or other evidence.
When a family loses a loved one, the family not only suffers emotionally, but financially as well. A successful wrongful death lawsuit may allow the family to recover damages to pay for the victim’s final expenses and to compensate for any lost wages the victim provided to his or her family.
Source: Omaha.com, “Council Bluffs woman, 59, killed after car struck head-on by truck,” Rick Ruggles, Jan. 11, 2014