Virginia State Police are investigating a deadly logging truck crash that happened on Oct. 17 in Tazewell County on Route 460 and Route 820. 

The police stated that at 4:20 pm, a logging truck attempted a U-turn on Route 640 and pulled onto the right shoulder to complete the turn. The logging truck merged into the eastbound lanes, and it pulled out in front of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, which slammed into the truck’s rear.

The driver of the Jeep died later at a local hospital. The driver of the tractor trailer was charged for failure to yield right of way. The crash is still being investigated.

Our View

Our personal injury and wrongful death attorneys in Virginia are saddened at this terrible logging truck accident. All commercial truck drivers must use extreme caution when they are driving their trucks. They need to be always aware of what is going on around their truck.

A U-turn with a tractor trailer is a very hazardous situation, and is one that should be attempted only in the safest situation. Generally, we would recommend that a truck driver attempting a U-turn on a highway should have a partner available to stop traffic to ensure that the turn is completed safely. Because this was not done, now a family is grieving the loss of their loved one.

People who lose a loved one to a negligent truck driver’s actions should know that they have legal options that can help them to deal with the aftermath of the tragedy. You have the option of filing a wrongful death lawsuit so that you can obtain compensation for funeral expenses, pain and suffering, and possibly lost wages.

We were able to settle a wrongful death lawsuit involving a truck that rear ended our client’s car on I-64 in Virginia, for $3.5 million. This helped the family to move on from this terrible accident.