When a truck accident occurs, it can commonly be more severe than a passenger-vehicle only accident. Massachusetts residents may have heard about a recent East Coast truck accident that injured a prominent comedian and actor, as well as several others, and killed another comedian. A national chain retailer may face liability for the truck accident.
The truck accident left Tracy Morgan, Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock comedian, in critical condition. A tractor trailer struck from behind the limo bus the comedian and others were traveling in. The limo bus was headed back from a comedy tour performance en route to drop Morgan off. According to authorities, the semi truck driver did not notice traffic slowing in front of him. Just before the crash, he attempted to swerve to avoid the limousine, but instead hit it from behind, causing it to spin and roll.
Morgan and three others were injured in the accident. A 63-year old passenger, and fellow comedian, was killed in the accident. Two others, in addition to 45-year old Morgan, were in critical condition following the accident and one other passenger had been treated at the hospital and released. Four other vehicles were also involved in the multi-vehicle accident but no one in those vehicles was injured. Following the accident, the 35-year old truck driver was charged with four counts of assault by auto and one count of death by auto.
The semi truck involved in the accident was a Wal-Mart truck and the president and CEO of Wal-Mart said that if the Wal-Mart truck was the cause of the accident, Wal-Mart will take responsibility for the crash. While alcohol was not suspected to have played a role in the accident, the accident was under investigation immediately following its occurrence. Liability for a truck accident may extend beyond the driver of the semi truck in some circumstances. Depending on the employee relationship between the driver and the company the driver is hauling for, the company may also be liable to compensate any injured victims for harm caused in a semi-truck accident.
Because truck accidents can leave victims facing difficult and costly recoveries, it may be worth it to understand liability for truck accidents. Depending on the circumstances, it may be more than simply an inattentive truck driver who is speeding who shares responsibility to compensate the victim for serious injuries.
Source: CNN, “Georgia man charged in wreck that critically injures actor Tracy Morgan,” Ralph Ellis, et al., June 7, 2014
