Losing a loved one is always hard. However, it can be particularly devastating when a loved one is killed due to someone else’s negligence. Knowing that if someone else had only done something differently, the entire accident could have been prevented.
Take for example the recent New York truck accident that claimed the lives of three adults and four small children. All were killed in an accident when a trailer came off of a big rig and smashed into the minivan all were riding in.
In looking at what happened, a 24-year-old was driving the minivan when suddenly a runaway trailer, carrying crushed cars, cut across a two lane road and smashed into the minivan. Everything happened so quickly, there was simply no time for the driver to try and maneuver out of the way. The 24-year-old was one of those killed in the wreck.
According to the sheriff’s office, mechanical failure is what caused the accident. For some reason, the part that is intended to keep the trailer secured to the rest of the truck failed and the trailer came off.
Now is the time when questions need to be answered. Considering the trailer came lose, one has to wonder if this was due to poor equipment maintenance and if a better check of the big rig could have prevented this accident.
This type of accident is also highly unusual. Normally, when there is a truck accident, it is caused by truck driver error, not from the trailer coming off. However, even though this type of accident is very rare, when it does happen — as this recent accident goes to show — the results can be truly devastating.
Looking to the future, depending on what an investigation determines, the father who survived the crash, as well as the family members of the adults and children killed, may be able to hold the trucking company or another third party accountable for the accident.
Source: News on 6, “Equipment failure caused NY crash that killed 7,” John Kekis, May 31, 2013