Four people were killed and eight others were hospitalized with injuries after a shuttle van crashed the morning of Sept. 2 on New Jersey’s Palisades Interstate Parkway. According to an NBC New York news report, 12 people were on board the shuttle van, which provided transportation for workers in upstate New York to and from their homes.
Injuries and Deaths
The passenger cargo van with New York registration crashed into the median and rolled over. Several passengers were trapped in the vehicle. Four passengers suffered severe trauma and were pronounced dead at the scene. Parkway Police later identified the two other passengers who died in the crash: 60-year-old Jose Luis Romer Munoz, of the Bronx, and Candida Frias, who was from the city and would have celebrated her 60th birthday on Saturday. Another passenger who was killed in the van crash was identified by family members as 49-year-old Clara Estrella who had recently emigrated from the Dominican Republic with her sister. The driver of the van, identified as 54-year-old George Massey Jr. of the Bronx, was among those dead.
Eight victims were taken to area hospitals with a variety of injuries ranging from severe head trauma to other non-life-threatening injuries. A report in The New York Times states that the van was traveling from a warehouse in Chester, New York, operated by a party goods supplier to New York City. Emergency crews had to extricate those trapped inside the vehicle. The van’s roof had been shorn off and its back windows smashed, according to reports. The cause of the van accident is still under investigation. Our deepest condolences go out to the family members of those who were killed in this crash. We also wish the injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Common Causes of Van Accidents
Here are some of the most common causes of passenger van accidents:
Inexperienced drivers: Driving a passenger van usually requires additional training and experience. Drivers must also be aware of changing road, traffic and weather conditions and how it affects their vehicle. With an inexperienced driver, there is a heightened risk of crashes.
Driver distraction: Van drivers who are operating the vehicle while distracted are at a greater risk of causing a crash. Drivers have a duty of care to their passengers.
Medical issues: It is the job of companies that run transport operations to make sure their drivers are medically fit. Drivers with medical issues pose a significant danger to their passengers. Employers must also screen their drivers and check their driving records and verify their credentials. They can be held responsible for negligent (careless) employee hiring and retention.
Poor vehicle maintenance: It is important that vehicles that are used to carry passengers are properly maintained. This includes replacing worn parts. Brake failures and tire blowouts are often linked to devastating crashes. Companies that operate these vans have a responsibility to maintain them.
Reckless driving: When van drivers exceed the speed limit, operate at an unsafe speed or fail to obey the rules of the road, they put their passengers in significant peril. Drivers have a responsibility to operate in a manner that is safe for passengers, other drivers as well as bicyclists and pedestrians sharing the road.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Van accidents, particularly rollover crashes, have the potential to cause catastrophic injuries or even fatalities. Injured victims of negligent (careless) drivers can seek compensation from at-fault parties for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones in car accidents can seek compensation for damages such as lost future income, medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a van accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (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 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, lead poisoning and 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.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/4-dead-8-injured-shuttle-van-rollover-new-jersey-parkway-rcna46008
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/nyregion/new-jersey-van-crash.html