A man was killed in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 16 when he was hit by a passing tractor trailer on I-77.
The North Carolina State Police reported that the deadly truck accident happened at 5 AM at exit 6 on I-77. The police stated that a man pulled his vehicle onto the shoulder of the highway due to an engine problem. As he was walking on the side of his vehicle, a tractor trailer hit him.
The man was killed at the scene of the accident. His identity has not been released at this time. The police are still investigating the accident.
Our View
Our hearts go out to the family who lost their loved one in this tragic truck accident. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) states that one of the biggest problems that lead to truck accidents is inadequate surveillance.
Inadequate surveillance occurs when the truck driver is in a situation where he needs to look in a direction safely to drive or to complete a maneuver and does not look, or he looks and fails to see.
Inadequate surveillance can include changing lanes, turning at intersections, or passing a stopped vehicle on the shoulder of the highway.
The FMCSA states that truck drivers should always be driving defensively. This means the truck driver should keep his distance, watch for obstacles ahead, stay alert and drive at a safe speed. If the trucker watches carefully, he can see a dangerous situation in advance and avoid an accident.
On a related note, truck drivers also should be looking far down the road on an interstate. It is recommended that truckers look at least 1/4 of a mile down the road at highway speed. Looking this far ahead allows the trucker to respond in time and to change lanes if necessary.
Another major problem with truckers is driver distraction. Distractions include cell phones, radio, food and drink, and simply falling asleep. A study in 2009 found that 70% of big rig crashes happened because the trucker was not watching the road just before impact.
Our North Carolina personal injury attorneys do not know why the truck driver failed to see the motorist parked on the shoulder of I-77, but this was an avoidable accident. But due to driver distraction or inadequate surveillance, a man is dead and is being grieved by his family.
People who have lost their loved one in a preventable truck accident may consider suing the truck driver and trucking company for wrongful death. If the truck driver acted in a negligent fashion, he and the trucking company may be held liable for the death. Such a verdict or settlement can net major compensation, such as this $2.25 million wrongful death settlement our lawyers won recently.