Violation of Safety Regulations Not Apparent in Truck Accident
A series of train crashes have recently been reported across the nation. The third in two months occurred in early March in North Carolina. The tragedy involved a tractor-trailer, and, even with a video of the event, a violation of safety regulations is not apparent.
According to reports, a tractor-trailer driver was attempting a left-hand turn when his vehicle became lodged on the railroad tracks. A woman who was in her vehicle at a nearby stop sign witnessed the tragedy and captured it on a video camera. She stated that the truck driver had placed the truck in reverse multiple times while struggling to move the vehicle off the tracks. The woman described hearing the sound of the oncoming locomotive and seeing the semi-truck driver leap out of his vehicle when he realized that a crash was imminent.
The tractor-trailer was overloaded with an 80,000-pound haul, but reports indicate that the driver had permission to carry the excessive weight. Information regarding what the truck was hauling has not been revealed. A train car toppled over upon impact in the collision, and, though there has been some discrepancy in the exact numbers, it is believed that more than 50 people were injured in the accident.
Although the truck’s position on the tracks is the obvious cause of the accident, no violation of safety regulations is apparent. However, as the investigation into the incident progresses, additional information may come to light that will indeed indicate that negligence played a part in the accident. In truck accidents in which negligence is a factor, injured victims often have the right to pursue personal injury claims against the negligent parties by filing lawsuits in North Carolina civil courts.
