Occupants of passenger vehicles will always be vulnerable when they share Delaware roads with tractor-trailers, semis and other big rigs. The sheer size and weight of commercial vehicles make them deadly when they collide with passenger vehicles. The risks they pose were recently underscored when two people lost their lives in a car vs. tractor-trailer accident.
According to Delaware State Police, the accident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. on a recent Monday on Route 13. A preliminary police report indicates that a tractor-trailer failed to stop at an intersection on Route 13. The traffic light at the intersection was red, and an SUV stopped, waiting for the light to turn green. The big rig smashed into the SUV.
Reportedly, EMTs rushed the two occupants of the SUV to a medical facility. Sadly, they both succumbed to their injuries and died later at the hospital. They were a man and woman, both in their seventies, but authorities had not revealed their names as of this report.
Delaware State Police reported that the reason for the failure of the truck operator to bring the tractor-trailer to a halt was not yet known. Whenever car accidents caused by other parties’ negligence take lives, the surviving family members may have grounds to pursue financial relief through the state’s civil justice system. However, wrongful death claims will only be viable if the plaintiffs can establish proof of negligence. The successful presentation of such a lawsuit could yield a monetary judgment to cover the costs of end-of-life expenses and other documented damages.