Big rig catches fire in fatal accident
Emergency crews responded to a Jefferson County accident that left a 56-year-old man dead and a 57-year-old man injured, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. The June 19 incident reportedly occurred on northbound Interstate 55 and involved two trucks.
One of the trucks caught fire due to the crash. Emergency responders took the 57-year-old man to a hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Various officials responded to the accident scene, yet neither the cause of the crash nor the chain of events leading up to it was clear immediately following the incident. Moreover, it was not immediately clear whether authorities filed any charges or issued any citations in connection with the incident.
This particular case exemplifies the destructive nature of truck accidents. They often inflict catastrophic damage upon the people and property involved in them. Like other types of traffic accidents, they are oftentimes but not always caused by driver error. In some cases, the factors contributing to the accident are not within the drivers’ purview at all. For example, some accidents are caused by defective auto parts.
If that were the case in this truck accident, the people who suffered damages as a result may be entitled to financial compensation via civil action. By filing a personal injury claim against the manufacturer of the faulty auto part, injured victims may seek restitution for their damages, such as hospital bills, medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and even lost wages if their injuries proved to be disabling. Furthermore, certain family members of deceased accident victims may seek financial compensation to cover the damages they suffered by filing a wrongful death claim against the liable manufacturer. If successful, they might be able to recover the expenses associated with the decedent’s funeral as well as lost earnings related to the decedent’s sudden death.
Source: KMOV, “Victim of fatal I-55 accident identified; road reopens”, June 20, 2014