Montgomery, New York – Two semi-trucks and a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu were involved in a collision at 6:20 p.m. on I-84 in Montgomery County.
Initial reports state a tractor-trailer rear-ended the Chevy Malibu, pushing the passenger vehicle into the rear of another trailer. Emergency responders extricated the Chevy driver, Janet Colon, from the vehicle.
Medical Personnel transported Janet Colon to the hospital in critical condition.
No further details have been provided.
Thoughts on Accidents with Semi-trucks
Ms. Colon was the innocent victim of other’s negligence. One semi-truck slammed into her from the rear, while another may have lacked the proper protection and resulted in further injury.
We know that following a truck accident, it is important to look at the actions of the trucker to determine what they were doing prior to the crash, the actions of the trucking company to determine what preventive safety measures were taken to reduce the likelihood of its driver being involved in a crash, and the vehicles involved in the crash to determine if they provided the protection one would expect. Ms. Colon deserves answers from those responsible for her injuries.
Truckers must stay vigilant and adjust their speed to current traffic conditions. Their vehicles are extremely dangerous. While we do not know what caused the truck to slam into the Malibu, we do know that distraction, speed, and impairment are the usual culprits in rear-end collisions.
There are also rare instances where a mechanical issue can cause a rear-end collision (mechanical issues account for 10 percent of all road accidents). In these cases, liability may shift from the driver to a negligent manufacturer or repair shop. Whatever the reason, the truck driver that caused this accident must be held accountable.
There are also questions surrounding the trucking company that still need to be answered. Trucking companies have a duty to place safe drivers on the roadways. They must train their drivers and make sure they have enough experience maneuvering the truck and know safety protocols before they can roam our roadways. Employers also need to vet their drivers and not allow truckers with repeated traffic violations to share the streets with motorists. When truck companies fail to do this, and one of their trucks causes serious injuries or deaths, the trucking company must be held accountable.
Lastly, the vehicles we drive must provide us with adequate protection. This means seatbelts must restrain, airbags must deploy, and seats must not break. An investigation of the vehicle will determine if the Malibu provided the protection one would expect it to provide in such a crash. If the vehicle proves defective, the manufacturer may be at least partially responsible for the injuries suffered here.
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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.
