One of the most dangerous situations on the roads today is encountering road debris left behind by truck drivers who fail to secure the load they are transporting. In 2012, the United States Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) submitted a report to Congress which revealed in 2010, there were 51,000 car accidents caused debris from other vehicles or objects left in the roadway. Approximately 10,000 people received serious injuries from those crashes, and another 440 people were killed.
Recently, a Springfield, VA woman learned just how dangerous this issue is when she was injured by a piece of metal that smashed through her windshield and into her face.
The woman and her husband were traveling on Interstate 495, near Annandale, when the 17 pound chunk of steel came crashing through the car’s windshield. It hit the victim on the left side of her face. She was rushed to Inova Fairfax Hospital and then later transferred to a rehab center to help recover from the injuries she received. The victim is still struggling with a concussion, as well as large scarring over her eyes. In an interview, the victim pointed out how lucky she was that she was hit with the flat part of the metal object, and not the sharp edges, which could have caused even more serious, if not fatal, injuries.
It is believed that the metal fell off of a truck transporting scrap metal, which did not have the scrap safely secured, a clear violation of Virginia law. Unfortunately, there were no identifying marks on the piece of metal to help police track down the person or company responsible for the woman’s injuries.
If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by road debris left behind by a negligent driver, contact an experienced Virginia personal injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have for your pain and loss.