It is common knowledge that when a semi-truck and a car are involved in a crash, those in the car usually fare worse than the driver in the truck. Because of their size and weight, trucks can cause serious damage to cars and often severely injure or kill the passengers. But in the case of the truck accident that occurred in Suffolk, Virginia on October 4, 2012, the truck was the smaller of the two vehicles involved in the crash – because the other one was a train. It appears that the truck was crossing the tracks on Route 58 when it was hit and pushed a few hundred yards by the train before it stopped. The truck driver tragically died at the scene.
Several factors will be taken into account as this train accident is investigated. Why was the truck across the tracks when the train arrived? Did the lack of crossing gates and lights contribute to the crash? Both the truck driver and the train engineer were on the job when the accident occurred, so the companies they worked for and their insurers may all be considered as parties to any claims or lawsuits that may arise.
As Virginia truck and train accident attorneys, our firm is very familiar with the complications that come with accidents involving commercial vehicles. It can be especially difficult when someone has been seriously injured or killed, because the victims are trying to heal or their families are coping with the loss of a loved one. Our hearts go out to the family of the truck driver.
MH