16-Year-Old Killed in Tractor Trailer Accident | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

What Happened

On March 26, 2013 a driver of a tractor trailer lost control of his rig and collided with a vehicle, which caused the death of one passenger. The accident occurred on Route 119 near the Kanawha-Lincoln County line. According to police the driver lost control of the truck, hit a concrete median, overturned in the opposite lanes of traffic and hit a Volkswagen carrying two people. The Volkswagen’s passengers were a woman and her 16-year-old daughter. When emergency personnel arrived they pronounced the 16-year-old girl dead on the scene. Her mother suffered serious life threatening injuries and was taken to CAMC General’s ICU. The driver of the mack truck was also taken to the hospital for injuries but has been released. Police have launched an investigation to determine how the driver lost control of his tractor trailer.

This map shows the approximate location of the tractor trailer wreck.


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The Virginia Personal Injury Lawyers’ Perspective

This is truly a heart wrenching accident, and our thoughts are with the family of the victims. When a tractor trailer is involved in an accident the results are usually tragic due to the sheer size of the trucks. It will be beneficial for the family of the deceased to attain legal representation quickly to allow attorneys to promptly survey and inspect the accident scene. If you or a loved one were involved in an accident caused by a tractor trailer careful consideration should go into choosing a Virginia (VA) trucking accident lawyer. The trucking industry is regulated by both federal and state governments and has legislation that differs from those of car accidents.  This is significant legally because an accident caused, even in part, by a violation of a law or regulation may lead to higher compensation for anyone injured in the accident.

In 2010 we represented a client who lost his life after he was rear ended by an 18 wheeler on the interstate. The trucker claimed to have not seen the car until the last second but, during litigation we found that his initial statement to the police was inaccurate. Through our investigation we established that the driver of the big rig violated several safety rules from the Virginia CDL Manual. In the end we were able to secure a sizable settlement for our client.

Potentially Helpful Info:

If you or a member of your family has been injured in a crash involving or caused by a tractor-trailer or other large commercial truck, you can begin to learn about your legal rights and options to file claims for compensation by downloading this free report.

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