Nebraska motorists may have heard about a truck accident on May 19 in Georgia that claimed the lives of five individuals. Police believe the truck driver may have fallen asleep prior to the fatal wreck.
According to reports, the accident occurred just outside of Savannah on I-16 nearby the I-95 interchange when a man driving a semitrailer suddenly struck the side of one vehicle, crashed into a Hyundai and then caught on fire. Two of the three people in the Hyundai were thrown from the vehicle in the impact. The occupants in the other vehicle died when the car they were in became sandwiched between the semitrailer and another big rig.
According to witnesses, the truck driver drifted into the middle of the highway’s lanes prior to the accident. At the time of the news release, police stated that investigators were working to determine if the truck driver, who was not seriously injured in the crash, dozed off. Charges against the truck driver are pending, based on the results of the investigation. Seven cars were damaged in the accident.
Truck collisions can result in catastrophic, life-threatening injuries to others on the road. If the driver of the truck was speeding, distracted or fatigued from driving more hours than legally allowed, both the driver and his or her employer may be held liable for damages incurred by injured victims. By analyzing the official accident report and witness accounts, an attorney may be able to establish that the truck driver’s negligence was the cause of the accident. Damages commonly sought in a personal injury lawsuit can include the costs of medical care and treatment as well as compensation for lost wages.
Source: ABC News, “Officials Probe Whether Trucker in Georgia Crash Fell Asleep”, Russ Bynum, May 20, 2015