On June 20, a routine tire change on a triple axle truck heading southbound on the Dallas North Tollway caused an accident involving a 70-year-old driver. The driver of the truck was not injured.
When he noticed that one of his tires had gone flat, the driver of the triple axle truck pulled into the left lane to perform a routine tire change. There was a drilling rig mounted on the bed of the truck, however, which shifted when the truck’s tire went flat, and it hung over into one of the highway’s northbound lanes. A car then struck the drilling rig, and the driver died on the scene. According to local authorities, lanes on both sides of the highway were closed for hours after the auto accident for investigative purposes.
The driver of the truck in this case could possibly be held liable for negligence. If the drilling rig shifted due to any sort of malfunction, however, the manufacturer of the rig or or the company that owned it and was responsible for its maintenance could also be held liable for the damages.
The family of the man who was killed in the incident may choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the truck or the company that owns it. A personal injury lawyer in Austin might be able to help a family in a similar situation file such a lawsuit. The person or company found liable for an accident may be required to pay restitution to a victim’s family to cover any medical bills incurred, burial costs or any loss of income that the decedent would have provided.
Source: NBC, “Accident Shut Down Dallas North Tollway for Hours“, June 22, 2014
