A fiery crash has claimed the life of a 39-year-old Central Texas man. The accident occurred at the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and Texas Highway 7.
The victim was driving his pickup truck on the northbound lane of Highway 77 when he came to the intersection where the 18-wheeler was loaded with kerosene and traveling west on Highway 7. Rain had caused the highways to become wet, and the tractor-trailer slid through the intersection, hitting the pickup truck head-on. Both trucks erupted into flames, and the driver of the pickup truck was killed. The driver of the 18-wheeler did not suffer any injuries. The kerosene had to be cleaned by a hazmat team, which caused both lanes of traffic to be closed for several hours.
A head-on collision is one of the most severe types of car accidents and often results in serious injury or death. When the collision is caused by the negligence of another driver, the family of the injured or deceased driver may be entitled to financial compensation from the negligent driver to pay for unpaid medical bills and loss of income. However, it can be difficult to deal with the complex legal procedures of filing a personal injury lawsuit and dealing with insurance companies who do not want to pay claims. In addition, the negligence of the other driver must be proven in a court of law before any damages can be awarded.
Depending on the severity of the injuries, many injured drivers or families will be eligible for compensation that would be considered far outside the normal realm of a typical injury lawsuit. In more serious cases such as these, it could be beneficial to consult with a skilled accident attorney in Austin who could offer advice on how much to claim in damages and how strong a case will be in court.
Source: KWTX, “Fiery Crash Claims Life Of 39-Year-Old Central Texas Man,” Dacota Taylor, April 27, 2015
