A popular restaurant in Poughkeepsie was destroyed after its sides collapsed as a tractor-trailer crashed through the building. According to an NBC news report, the impact of the crash left Junior’s Lounge off Salt Point Turnpike in pieces. Two entire sides of the building came down as the force of the collision also brought down other sections of the two-story business. Police said the driver of the truck was killed while two others inside the restaurant at the time of the crash were injured.
Fatality and Injuries Reported
Investigators are still looking into what caused this large truck accident, which
Witnesses told police the tractor-trailer was driving erratically and moved in and out of the westbound lane of traffic several times on the Salt Point Turnpike. The restaurant’s owner, who was inside the bar at the time, said he heard the initial collision and went outside before the building was struck. The crash’s impact threw an upstairs tenant out of the building. She and the bed she was sleeping on, both came to rest on top of the tractor-trailer.
The woman was pulled from the rubble atop the truck and transported to an area hospital where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The resident of another upstairs apartment escaped unharmed. It is indeed a relief that no one in the building was seriously hurt in this terrifying truck accident.
In such cases, it is important to pinpoint the cause of the truck accident:
• Did alcohol or drugs play a part?
• Was the truck driver operating the vehicle at an excessive rate of speed?
• Was the driver drowsy or fatigued at the time?
• Did distracted driving play a part?
• Was the truck overloaded or improperly loaded?
• Did poor truck maintenance cause a mechanical malfunction?
Liability in Truck Accidents
There are a number of parties who can be held liable for truck accidents. The truck driver who causes the accident because of impaired driving, distracted driving, fatigued driving, speeding and other types of negligence (carelessness) can be held accountable. The truck driver’s employer — usually a trucking company or a large retailer or corporation — can also be held liable. The owner/employer is legally responsible for the actions of its employees when they are on the job and may be held liable for negligent hiring and retention of the driver.
In some cases where the truck driver doesn’t own the truck, a claim may be made against the truck’s owner as well. Sometimes, if a third-party company loaded the cargo improperly, this may cause the load to fall off and injure others on the road or cause a jackknifing accident. In such situations, a cargo company may bear liability.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Accidents caused by trucks may result in catastrophic or major injuries such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord trauma, internal organ damage, multiple broken bones, amputations, etc. Such injuries may require significant medical treatment and rehabilitation and may leave individuals with temporary or permanent disabilities that prevent them from working and earning an income.
Victims who have been injured in truck accidents may be able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased accident victims may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as lost future income, funeral costs, medical expenses, pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident caused by a negligent or careless driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ny-restaurant-blown-to-pieces-in-fatal-tractor-trailer-crash-officials/3741673/
Email Us