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Orange County IN Fatal Accident
Posted by: Steve Wagner
January 12, 2010
Topic: Motor Vehicle Accidents
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.
