A prominent trucking route that links St. Louis and Chicago featured a terrible fatal wreck recently that claimed at least four lives and left three others with injuries that were serious enough that they required an airlift. Not much else is know about the accident, other than the fact that two semi trucks were involved, in addition to three passenger vehicles. The highway was closed as emergency responders worked at the scene. An investigation into the wreck will uncover the reason for the crash.
The investigation into any motor vehicle crash is important, though they can take some time to complete. This can be tough on the injured parties or the loved ones of victims because they want answers now. However, patience is crucial during these tough times.
When the crash involves semi trucks, the investigation will involve tracking down the driver’s work logs and looking into the amount of rest the driver had recently. The truck company could come under fire too if they failed to uphold any of their relevant work and safety policies. This means there could be multiple parties that an injured individual targets in civil court.
Last but not least, remember that in major pile-up accidents like this, the question of liability can be a complicated one. “Who struck who” and “what caused what” may seem simple or even obvious to someone in the accident who claims others are at fault. But for investigators, these are important questions that need to be handled delicately so that they have a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the wreck.
Once their determination is made, an injured person could use the result of the investigation to file a civil lawsuit against the relevant parties.
Source: WTAQ, “At least four dead in truck-car crash south of Chicago,” Reuters, July 21, 2014