A big rig driver from North Carolina has been charged in a chain reaction crash on I-85 in Virginia that involved a firetruck and a sheriff’s cruiser. 

The truck driver from High Point NC – Lonnie Mixter – was charged with reckless driving in the wreck, which happened at 1 am on Nov. 24. His truck smashed into a fire truck that had responded to another crash near the Mckenney Highway exit on I-85 northbound.

Mixter failed to slow down as he came upon the crash scene, where the right lane was blocked. His big rig slammed into the truck, which caused it to smash into the sheriff’s car. The big rig then tore out 200 feet of guardrail, and then it overturned.

The truck driver suffered serious injuries, and a sheriff’s deputy and firefighter also were injured, although not seriously.

We represent many seriously injured people, or the families of people killed by careless truck drivers. When a big rig hits a smaller vehicle, it usually means serious or deadly injuries for any occupants of that vehicle.

You might think that a case where a truck hits a car would easily lead to a large persona injury settlement. However, you should know that trucking companies employ large teams of lawyers and insurance company representatives that will flood the scene of the accident and try to deny or reduce a personal injury claim.

This is why you should take a few minutes to read our in-depth legal guide called the Truck Accident Injury Guide. Here you will learn about the most common trucking accident violations, common insurance policies for big rigs and how they are different from your policy, and common practices that trucking companies use to deny your rightful personal injury claim.

We worked on a truck crash case a few years ago where the big rig driver rear ended and killed our client on a Virginia interstate. Wouldn’t you know that the trucking company and its lawyers argued that the crash was caused by our deceased client’s actions?

We however were able to prove that the truck driver violated vital safety regulations as detailed in the Virginia CDL Manual. He also did not control his diabetes, which we showed may have contributed to the lethal crash. A $3.5 million settlement was reached.

This is the type of justice that can be had when you work with a personal injury firm that knows exactly how trucking companies try to wriggle out of their legal responsibilities.