BENSON ARIZONA – Adolfo Valdez, Claudia Espinoza, Lamar Bryant and Desi Draughnpeople are dead following a multi-vehicle accident involving two commercial vehicles Saturday, March 11.
According to reports, an unidentified driver of a tractor-trailer was headed westbound on I-10 near Benton, Arizona, when the truck went through the median and crashed head-on with oncoming traffic. The collision resulted in a secondary collision with a passenger vehicle and caused another passenger vehicle to crash off the roadway to avoid hitting the disabled vehicles.
The crash resulted in the death of four motorists, all of whom were occupants of the non-accident-causing vehicles. Authorities did not release information regarding injuries.
The cause of the tractor-trailer crossing left-of-center was not immediately apparent. No further information is available at this time.
The families of the deceased victims will need a thorough investigation to make sure all wrongdoing is accounted for
This is a horrific crash that will cause unspeakable pain in the lives of many families and friends. And while the law cannot do anything to rectify the wrong that has taken place, it can hold the wrongdoers accountable for the unexpected passing of their loved ones. It will be important to determine exactly who those wrongdoers are to ensure the surviving families receive the answers they need and the compensation they are owed under the law.
Given the extreme disregard for others’ safety that would have been required for this accident to be caused solely by driver error, it will be important to determine if a mechanical issue caused the driver to lose control of the truck. Our firm is currently handling a case very similar to this one where an 18-wheeler traveling on I-8 in Yuma County, Arizona, suffered a tire blowout, causing the truck to travel through a similar median and crash into oncoming vehicles. While not as common as driver error, mechanical issues contributed to nearly 10% of all commercial vehicle accidents, and such an issue cannot be ruled out without a detailed investigation by trained attorneys.
On the other hand, if this accident was the result of blatant driver error, such disregard for others’ safety may suggest the issue goes deeper than the reckless driver and rests with the trucking company itself. Our firm has found that when a company does not care about safety, it employs truckers that do not care about safety. It is important to hold these companies responsible to ensure change is enacted, and that similar accidents are avoided in the future.
This is a devastating crash that will require the experience of trained attorneys to ensure all wrongdoing is accounted for and that the surviving families receive the answers and compensation they need to travel the difficult road of grief ahead.
I extend my deepest condolences to all involved and pray that the surviving families are strengthened during this difficult time.
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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.
