In many rural areas, it is not unusual for tractors and other farm equipment to share the roadway with other vehicles. However, individuals operating such equipment could be at risk of being seriously injured if they are involved in an accident. Serious accidents can result from incidents involving a tractor and a semi-truck.
It was recently reported that a similar accident took place in Illinois. A 75-year-old man was driving a tractor partially in the roadway and partially on the shoulder of the roadway when a semi-truck was approaching from behind. The semi-truck failed to slow down in time and collided with the tractor. As a result, the tractor driver was ejected from the tractor and landed on the roadway.
The man was seriously injured and taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, he did not recover from those injuries. The driver of the semi-truck did not suffer any injuries in the accident. He is currently facing charges for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. The situation was still being investigated at the time of the report, and it is unclear whether additional charges may result from the fatal event.
When serious accidents such as this Illinois incident take place, there may be many repercussions. For instance, the family of the victim may face emotional and financial hardships after the accident due to the loss of their loved one, funeral expenses and other damages. In such cases, family members may wish to determine whether filing a wrongful death claim could be a step they wish to take in order to seek compensation for those damages.
Source: kfvs12.com, “1 person killed in IL crash involving semi truck and tractor“, Zach Robinson, July 24, 2015