A Rocky Mount, North Carolina mother is taking on the trucking industry in an effort to prevent another family from having to go through the heartbreak her family has suffered through. In May, 2013, Marianne Karth and three of her children were traveling back home from a family wedding in Texas when a tractor trailer slammed her vehicle from behind, causing it to spin and get pushed under another tractor trailer. Both her 17-year-old and 13-year-old daughters were killed in the accident.
The incident occurred in Georgia, on Interstate 20 in Greensboro. According to police reports, Marianne Karth was driving her 2005 Ford Crown Victoria in the westbound lane when she came upon traffic that had slowed down because of an accident a few miles ahead. The driver of a semi-truck that was stacked with cars he was transporting attempted to change lanes and smashed the Karths’ car from behind. The impact spun the car around and it was hit a second time by the truck. That impact pushed the car under a second tractor trailer where it became stuck.
Since the accident, Marianne Karth has been on a mission to convince government regulators to pass more stringent requirements against trucking companies and drivers to ensure safer roads. She has joined the Truck Safety Coalition in meeting with officials and urging them to address serious safety issues, including improving the underride guards installed on trucks. Many safety tests show that these guards offer inadequate protection to stop other vehicles from being pushed and wedged under a truck, partially contributing to the more than 4,000 tractor trailer accident fatalities that occur each year.
Our Carolina personal injury and wrongful death attorneys have assisted many families in navigating through the legal process when they have lost a loved one due to the negligent actions of someone else. If you have lost a family member in a tractor trailer accident, contact a North Carolina wrongful death attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have.