The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports a 47-year-old man from Rockford, Illinois, was driving a 2000 Volvo tractor trailer hauling a small load of grapes. His vehicle veered off the right side of the roadway and struck a stopped disabled commercial vehicle. The impact crushed the cab of the moving vehicle and the driver was trapped inside. Troopers say it took Sandusky County EMS and the Clyde Fire Department one hour to extract the driver. He was taken to Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo with injuries described as life threatening. A husband and wife in the stopped 2017 Freightliner tractor trailer were not hurt. Troopers say the two from Florida were hauling perishable meat products. Their vehicle was parked off the side of the roadway with US DOT approved triangles displayed behind it.
Large trucks increase roadway dangers.
Approximately every 16 minutes a person is injured or killed from a truck accident. Most of the time the truck accident is caused by a passenger vehicle and approximately 16% of the time the fault falls with the driver of the truck. If you are involved in a truck accident in Toledo, Ohio, you should:
Remain at scene.
In Ohio, a driver involved in an accident resulting in a collision with a person or property must immediately stop at the scene of the accident or as close to it as possible and must remain at the scene of the accident until the driver has given their name, address, vehicle registration information, and upon request, their driver’s license information to any person involved in the accident. If the injured person is unable to comprehend and record the information, then the driver must notify the police and remain at the scene of the accident until a police officer arrives.
Negligence impact to settlements.
When accidents occur because someone fails to exercise the degree of care expected of someone in a similar situation, and it results in an injury or death, it is called “negligence” building the foundation for most civil lawsuits.
Ohio laws stipulate that damages will be reduced in proportion to the claimant’s degree of fault, also referred to as comparative negligence and is a factor in filing insurance claims or personal injury settlements. In Ohio, the victim in a car accident can sue the negligent driver for compensation. The victim’s liability in causing the accident, or their comparative negligence, affects the amount of compensation the victim receives. If the victim contributed less than 51% of the negligence that caused the accident, then their compensation is reduced by the amount they contributed to the accident. If the victim contributed 51% or more of the negligence that caused the accident, then the victim is barred from receiving any compensation.
Seek legal counsel.
Seeking effective legal counsel who have experience in truck accident cases is in your best interests to get the proper attention to your case, and a comprehensive settlement to cover damages to your individual situation.