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Negligent truck driver held responsible

Truck accidents occur all too frequently on Pennsylvania roadways. The likelihood that a crash will end in serious bodily injury or death is unfortunately high due to the size of the vehicles involved in these types of accidents. Because of the expertise required to drive a truck, all truck drivers have to possess a specific type of license to operate the vehicle: a commercial driver’s license, commonly referred to as a CDL. A CDL holds truck drivers to a different, higher standard of driving than the rest of the motorists on the roads. Yet, even with the special knowledge and skills that truck drivers possess, truck accidents still happen. When they do, the results often are devastating.

In Pottsville, a three-judge state Superior Court panel awarded an Orwigsburg woman $450,000 in damages as the result of a truck accident in 2006. An employee of the MRD Lumber Company pulled out of MRD’s driveway onto Route 61. In doing so, the flatbed truck illegally occupied both southbound lanes and interfered with oncoming traffic. The woman who was driving tried to avoid the truck but ended up clipping its tires. After the accident, the woman involved experienced issues with her knees that required medical attention.

Truck accidents, like car accidents, affect the people involved in a number of ways. Trucking companies must be held liable for accidents in which they are clearly at fault. Negligence on the part of the trucking company is looked at and considered by the courts. The court in the abovementioned case found that the injuries suffered by the victim in the accident were due to the negligent driving of the truck driver, which is why the monetary award was made.

Truck accidents happen and, unfortunately, can cause a lot of damage. Ensuring that trucking companies and truck drivers are held liable in truck accidents is vital.

Source: Republican Herald, “Judge upholds jury verdict in Rt. 61 accident case,” Peter E. Bortiner, Sept. 19, 2012

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