DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. — Thursday morning as a New York man lost his life in a crash that occurred in Dekalb County. The incident took place at approximately 9:15 a.m. on I-59, one mile north of Fort Payne.
According to the Alabama Highway Patrol, 32-year-old Kaysohn T. Baker of West Hempstead, New York, was a passenger in a vehicle that veered off the side of the road and crashed into a stationary semi-truck parked on the side of the road.
Mr. Baker sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision. The driver of the vehicle, identified as 36-year-old Marvin Campbell, and a 15-year-old passenger were also injured in the crash and transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
William J. Lewis, a 58-year-old resident of Cartersville, Georgia, who was inside the tractor-trailer during the incident, was also taken to an area hospital for treatment.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. No further information was immediately available.
The deceased’s family may be able to recover compensation for the unexpected passing of their loved one.
Crashes involving stopped semi-trucks happen all the time. They are preventable crashes that routinely result in death and serious injuries. We do not know why the trucker in this crash parked on the side of the road. However, we do know that drivers of commercial vehicles are required to follow strict rules when parking next to lanes of moving traffic. If those rules were not followed, or if the truck was negligently parked for any reason, the surviving family may be able to bring a wrongful death claim against the trucking company and hold it accountable for their loss.
Stopping trucks next to roadways is very dangerous. Companies need to train their drivers to park in designated rest areas whenever possible. Many times, trucks will park on the side of the road because they are tired. Truckers should avoid doing this and plan their trips to avoid parking in dangerous locations. Truckers may also park on the side of the road because of mechanical issues. Most of the time, mechanical issues can be prevented with proper maintenance and repair. A mechanical issue alone is not an excuse to escape liability.
We are currently handling several crashes like this for families across the country. Trucking companies do everything they can to point the blame onto the driver of the car. While all drivers must remain attentive to avoid crashing into other vehicles, one cannot create a dangerous situation and then point to someone else to escape liability.
More information will be needed to determine if the trucker here created a dangerous situation. However, when a life is lost, and a family is left mourning and unsure how to move forward financially and emotionally, action should be taken to determine all wrongdoing. If an investigation determines fault on the part of the trucking company, repair or maintenance company, or the trucker, the family should be provided this information and allowed to move forward with a wrongful death claim if they so choose.
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The Ammons Law Firm represents clients nationwide in catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation, with extensive experience in complex auto/tire defect and commercial vehicle cases.
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.
