Properly maintaining a vehicle is an important responsibility that every driver carries. In most cases, the vehicle will warn a driver that it needs mechanical attention, such as when the “check engine” light comes on, oil begins to leak or a strange sound comes from under the hood. For a driver who does not pay attention to those signs, regular checkups with a qualified mechanic are essential to keeping the vehicle in top working order, which can prevent catastrophes like the recent personal injury accident in Pennsylvania.
Nine vehicles had stopped for a traffic light at an intersection where a busy four-lane highway intersects with another roadway. As they waited for the light to change so they could proceed east, a tanker truck exited the parkway behind them, approaching the intersection at highway speed. The trucker was unable to stop his rig, and it plowed into the waiting line of traffic, smashing into car after car.
People told the media of the terrifying feeling of looking in their rear-view mirrors and seeing the enormous truck, which carried lime, barreling toward them, knowing there was no way to escape. When the truck finally came to rest, 11 people were injured and taken to local hospitals. The truck driver claims the brakes on his rig failed as he exited the parkway. Media reports say the trucking company that owns the rig has a record of numerous citations in the past two years, including 10 accidents.
The terror of a personal injury accident involving a tractor-trailer is one that is not easy to get over. Those suffering injuries may find it unreasonable that a trucking company would allow unsafe vehicles to be part of its fleet. Anyone in Pennsylvania who is involved in an accident with a big rig has the right to look at every possibility when considering who may be responsible for compensating them for their injuries.
Source: triblive.com, “11 hurt in nine-vehicle crash after truck loses brakes on Route 22“, Megan Guza and Ben Schmitt, Nov. 17, 2017
