A landfill worker in Seneca Falls NY was killed after he was struck by a tractor trailer while he was on the job at the Seneca Meadows Landfill.

The police stated that the man was operating a tipper machine at the landfill when he was hit by a tractor trailer that was backing up to the landfill. The big rig was in the process of backing up onto the machine, which is used to unload the trash that is loaded into the trailers.

The tractor trailer is owned by the company Pocono Logistics.

Our trucking accident personal injury attorneys in Virginia are sorry to see that this tragic workplace accident occurred. While we do not know exactly why this accident happened, we have seen many similar workplace accidents involving tractor trailers in the past.

Tractor trailer accidents – both on the road and at the work place – can be caused by many things, but these are the most common:

• Driver fatigue
• Lack of driver training
• Distracted driving – radio, cell phone conversation, texting (some drivers watch pornography while driving)
• Drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs

It should be noted that this accident apparently involved the driver backing up his rig, and it is the responsibility of both the driver and the trucking company to ensure that these types of maneuvers are done safely. Most trucking companies have procedures set up that mandate that the driver view the area behind their trailer carefully when they are backing up. If it can be proven that the driver did not do this, this could make the driver and company liable.

Also, government statistics show that driver fatigue leads to 13% of all trucking accidents. It can be hard to prove that a truck driver’s fatigue caused the crash or accident, but an experienced truck accident personal injury legal team can often prove it:

• By taking depositions from witnesses to the accident, the driver may have inadvertently admitted to being tired or distracted when the accident happened.
• The driver may not have admitted he was tired, but witnesses may have noticed that he looked fatigued.
• A careful review of the driver’s road log could reveal that he had driven too many hours and was tired when the accident happened.

By working with an expert personal injury lawyer familiar with the challenges of proving fault in a fatal truck accident, grieving family members have an opportunity to collect compensation for their emotional pain and suffering.