ATASCOSA COUNTY, Texas—One woman was left dead after her small passenger car was struck by a semi-truck on I-37 on September 21, 2022, just after 5:00 a.m. near mile marker 118.
Later that morning, the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office released a request for information about a Volvo semi-truck suspected of hitting the car and killing its driver. Around 8:00 p.m. on the 21st, the Sheriff's Office released a statement noting the diver of the semi-truck that killed the woman had been arrested and booked into the Atascosa County Jail.
Investigation of this accident is ongoing. No other details are currently available.
The decedent's family likely has a civil claim against the truck driver and trucking company
While the truck driver that fled the scene of this accident will likely face criminal penalties, the driver will also be liable for civil damages. The victim's family deserves answers and compensation for their unimaginable loss. Indeed, a civil action focused on making the family whole will bring some sense of relief in the wake of this tragic loss.
Personal injury law allows victims and their families to receive the financial compensation needed to rebuild a life after a loss. While no amount of money could ever replace the victim for friends and family, that is not the goal of compensation. Instead, monetary awards in a civil suit pay costs associated with the deceased's funeral, debts, and ongoing expenses, as needed. As such, attorneys need to identify all responsible parties potentially liable for a fatal accident such as this to ensure they are held accountable for their actions.
The leading cause of this accident was likely the truck driver's negligence. While we do not know whether the semi-truck driver who was later apprehended by authorities was distracted at the time of this accident, we can safely assume that the driver failed to see the victim's car, which is simply unacceptable. Semi-truck drivers must be constantly aware of their surroundings and ensure they are doing everything possible to avoid colliding with other drivers on the road. Here, it appears as though the semi-truck driver did not take evasive action to ensure the safety of drivers on I-37 and, given the peculiarity of the driver disappearing after the accident, may not have even known about the tragic consequences of their actions.
Another consideration for investigators analyzing this crash is whether safety features were present on the semi-truck. For instance, many newer semi-trucks have lane assistance technology that, if utilized by the truck driver, may have helped prevent this tragic accident altogether. Investigators must thoroughly investigate the truck driver and trucking company to determine whether safety technology, such as lane assistance, was integrated into this semi-truck and, if so, why the technology failed to prevent or lessen the severity of the wreck.
Even with the driver of the semi-truck in custody, the family of the victim may consult with an attorney to perform an independent investigation of the crash that ended their loved one's life far too soon. If any other party besides the driver is responsible for the accident, the family should have their questions answered as quickly as possible, and all parties should be held accountable for their role in this crash.
Disclaimer: This post is not legal advice. Information contained in this blog was compiled from third-party sources or is the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if false or misleading information is contained in this post.