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Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents include single vehicle accidents, accidents involving semi-trucks and motorcycles, and accidents in which a pedestrian or bicyclist are struck. In 2005 there were nearly 6,420,000 automobile accidents. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 42,642 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2006. This equates to approximately 117 people a day -- one death every 12 ?? minutes. In fact, car accidents are listed as the number one killer of teenagers in the United States. The financial cost for these automobile accidents is more than 230 Billion Dollars per year. In Indiana, if you are in an automobile accident, it is important to file a report with the appropriate police authority before leaving the scene of the accident. Doing this will document the accident for insurance purposes and result in a police accident report that will include statements from the drivers and witnesses. The report will also confirm the presence or absence of injuries, any traffic or road conditions which contributed to the accident, and document the weather. The investigating officer will also list what he or she believes to be the primary cause for the accident. Although not usually admissible in a court of law, police accident reports are extremely important to insurance companies who often make liability decisions based on the report. If you are injured in the accident, it is important to seek immediate medical attention. It is also important to take photographs of the vehicles involved and all of the injuries sustained as soon as possible and continue photographic documentation of the injuries throughout the duration of the treatment. For more information, call or email the attorneys at Wagner Reese & Crossen.
Orange County IN Fatal Accident
Posted by: Steve Wagner
January 12, 2010
We have all thought about it as we are driving behind or next to a semi-truck hauling large pieces of equipment: what if that equipment came loose and fell from the bed of the truck? Last night on S.R. 37 at County Line Road in Orange County, Indiana, about one mile north of Orleans, such an event took place as a semi-truck driver attempted to negotiate a turn. The fatal accident occurred after a 42,000 pound coil came off of the trailer, striking a north bound pick-up truck and another car behind the truck. Three people were killed. The driver of the pick-up truck has been identified as 22 year-old Zachary Staggs of Bedford, IN. There were two passengers in his vehicle. Shannon Steele, 21, Jasper, was killed in this unfortunate accident and 11 year-old Mackenzie Taylor was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the vehicle behind Staggs, 41 year-old Michael Daugherty of Mitchell, IN, was also killed in the accident.
This horrible accident likely could have been prevented if proper safety steps were undertaken by the truck driver, his company, and the shipper. Chains can wear and break; cargo can tilt and shift and fall. These are foreseeable hazards. As a prior safety director of a major trucking company, Charles Stratis of Wagner Reese & Crossen knows that all three parties (driver, company, and the shipper) have a responsibility to adequately secure the load. Unfortunately, in an industry premised on speedy deliveries, safe packaging and loading is often overlooked in warehouses, in drop yards, and on dark loading docks.
Cases such as this will require a thorough investigation and the hiring of numerous experts. For example, if the load fell due to a broken chain, a metallurgist (an engineer dealing in metals and metals analysis) should be hired. If the load fell due to improper loading, a packaging and cargo expert may be needed. Finally, if the accident was due to the driver's negligence in failing to secure his load, a truck expert like Mr. Stratis would be needed.
For more information regarding truck accident injury claims, contact Wagner Reese & Crossen at (800) 792-0332 or www.InjuryAttorneys.com.
