When traveling the interstates, the most frustrating aspects are usually heavy traffic and aggressive drivers. Unfortunately, while many Tennessee drivers are familiar with the dangers that large, commercial vehicles can pose, there are also the unexpected events that can lead to a fatal crash. In some situations, surviving family members may consider filing a wrongful death lawsuit when negligence may have lead to the loss of their loved one.
Recently, police and emergency responders were called to the scene of a tragic incident that occurred along Interstate 40. According to the report, a passenger car was being driven by a 71-year-old man who was traveling with an unknown number of passengers. As the motorist neared an exit ramp, an object came hurling toward the car from the left side. It smashed through the driver’s side window and struck the driver.
The object killed the driver. Police said that passengers inside the vehicle were able to guide the car onto an exit ramp where it came to a stop. The projectile that pierced the window was later identified as being a section of a wind skirt from a tractor-trailer. It came from a sideways direction and the driver had no warning or time to react defensively.
Tennessee officials are actively searching for the semi that lost a portion of its skirting. They have requested information from anyone who was traveling the interstate at that time and may have noticed a truck that was shedding parts of a load or its trailer structure. Families in these tragic situations are understandably devastated by their loss and may struggle to handle the financial burdens that often accompany these tragic accidents. When evidence points to negligence on the part of another party led to or contributed to the death, then families may seek to recoup their documented monetary damages through the filing of a wrongful death civil suit.
