CRAWFORD, NY – A two-vehicle collision in Orange County resulted in the death of Sullivan County resident Gerald Filcher.
At approximately 10 a.m., a 2006 International truck traveled east on 17K. The truck crossed over the center of the roadway for unknown reasons, colliding with a 1993 Toyota Tacoma traveling westbound.
The Toyota Tacoma driver, Gerald Filcher, died at the accident site.
The crash caused the International truck to rest on its side, and the Bullville Fire Department had to extricate the truck driver from the overturned truck.
The investigation into the circumstances of the collision is still ongoing.
Thoughts on the Orange County, Crawford Truck Crash
Head-on collisions happen for several reasons. Some of the most common causes include distracted or fatigued driving. The FMCSA found that 87% of commercial truck accidents are caused by driver error. We have handled cases where truck drivers distracted by cell phones cause deadly accidents. We have also handled cases where fatigued drivers doze off behind the wheel, only to quickly awaken to a catastrophic crash they caused. When a commercial trucker is distracted or fatigued for any reason and causes a fatal head-on collision, the driver must be held accountable for the preventable accident caused by their negligent actions.
However, it is important to have all crashes investigated more thoroughly to ensure there are no additional parties that are at least partially responsible for the crash. The purpose of the law is to hold all wrongdoers accountable for their negligent actions so the surviving family receives whatever justice may be available.
For instance, if a truck driver is distracted or tired, the culture of the trucking company comes into question. Does the truck company do its due diligence when hiring truck drivers? Do they hire drivers with repeated violations or insufficient experience? Does the truck company pressure their employees to drive past legal hour limits? These all indicate a company that may be placing profits over the safety of the motoring public. Such actions are considered by the law when determining wrongdoing.
In addition, approximately 10% of truck crashes involve a mechanical error of some type. Some large trucks veer off course due to mechanical issues or a poor maintenance job on their truck. If an investigation shows that the trucking company failed to inspect and maintain their trucks routinely, they should be held accountable. Secondly, if they did conduct proper safety inspections and maintenance, but a third-party repair company failed to do their job correctly, the repair shop may be liable for their negligence.
Victims and their families deserve answers, justice, and financial compensation for the losses forced on them by others’ negligent actions. A detailed investigation will reveal all wrongdoing and ensure all parties responsible for this crash are held accountable.
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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.
