A minor accident between two trucks on U.S. Highway 190 in Louisiana became the scene of a horrific accident. After that truck accident, one of the drivers was struck by a third vehicle not involved in the first accident. Authorities do not suspect that anyone involved in either of the accidents was impaired at the time.
Two Freightliner tractor trailers were headed eastbound on U.S. Highway 190 early one morning on the Friday before Christmas. When the driver of the first Freightliner slowed to make a left hand, the tractor trailer that was trailing behind rear ended the first truck. This first accident caused minor damage to both trucks.
The driver of the first truck was in the process of placing warning triangles on the roadway in order to alert other vehicles to the accident. While he was doing so, a vehicle heading eastbound struck him. He suffered severe injuries and was taken to Baton Rouge General Mid-City Hospital. Despite the efforts of medical personnel at the hospital, the driver’s injuries were too severe and caused his death.
As part of the ongoing investigation into the truck accident and the crash that followed, toxicology samples have been sent to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. The family of the driver that died has the right to file a wrongful death action based upon evidence of negligence that is deemed to have caused the fatality. If liability is established to the court’s satisfaction in a civil action, the court will consider claims for monetary damages sustained as a result of the tragedy.
Fatal Accident
Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty in Car Wreck that Killed 7 People
A Louisiana man has decided to plead guilty in connection with the deaths of 7 people back on May 30. The man was driving drunk when he collided with another vehicle. Five people died instantly in the car wreck. Two other passengers survived the crash but succumbed to their injuries several days later.
The driver had been drinking at a restaurant in celebration of his 30th birthday on the night of the accident. The crash occurred when the then intoxicated driver of a pickup truck traveling on La. 67 in East Feliciana Parish slammed head on into a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis containing the seven people that were killed. The driver of the pickup truck was charged with their deaths.
Authorities determined that the driver’s blood alcohol level was 0.15 which is almost twice the legal limit in Louisiana of 0.08. The driver decided to spare his family and the families of his victims and pleaded guilty to seven counts of vehicular homicide. For each count of vehicular homicide, he faces five to 30 years in prison and the possibility of fines between $2,000 and $15,000.
In addition to the prison term and possible fines, the driver may also face the wrongful death actions from the families of the victims. All but one of the victims was from the same family. They have the right to file a wrongful death claim to recover monetary damages such as medical bills and funeral expenses, but the decision of whether to file is up to them. Any family that finds themselves faced with the decision to of whether to file a wrongful death claim in connection with a car wreck may benefit from gaining an understanding of their rights under our laws. It is important to learn how much time the law allows to initiate such a lawsuit and what proof may be necessary in order to successfully litigate a claim.
Auto Accident Caused By Loose Trailer Kills 1 in Louisiana
The Louisiana State Police are investigating an unusual accident that occurred earlier this month on Interstate 10 in Ascension Parish. The cause of the auto accident appears to be a loose trailer. One person was killed as a result of the accident.
A Ford F-350 was traveling west on I-10 with a trailer attached to the back of the pickup truck. Unfortunately, the trailer was not properly secured, and it came loose from the pickup. It shot across the highway through a break in the median guardrail and into oncoming traffic in the eastbound lanes of I-10.
The driver of a Ford F-150 pickup was unable to avoid colliding with the trailer. When his vehicle hit the trailer, his pickup first veered off the right side of the highway and then shot back across the eastbound lanes of traffic. The vehicle came to a rest in the median. Even though the driver of the F-150 was properly restrained, he suffered such severe injuries that he did not survive the accident.
The Louisiana State Police do not believe that alcohol was a factor in the crash, but toxicology samples were taken from both drivers as a matter of procedure. The investigation is ongoing. Even if the police do not file any criminal charges in connection with this tragic auto accident, the family of the victim retains the right to proceed with a wrongful death claim. If the family is able to prove that the other driver was negligent in causing or contributing to the death of the victim, they may be awarded the costs and damages they have incurred in connection with the tragedy.
Explosion on Offshore Oil Platform Off Louisiana Injures 11
An explosion off the coast of Louisiana sent 11 people to hospitals. There were 22 people on the offshore oil platform when the explosion occurred. Nine people were uninjured, and two others are still missing.
Of the 11 known people that were injured, two were flown to the Baton Rouge General-Mid City Burn Center and are in critical condition. Two other injured crew members were on their way to Baton Rouge by ambulance from Marrero, Louisiana. There is no word on the condition of those two or the other seven injured workers.
A crew has been dispatched to assess and clean up any pollution from the explosion. The Coast Guard unit stationed in Morgan City, Louisiana, will be leading the investigation into the cause of the explosion. Preliminary reports indicate that the explosion occurred when a worker was cutting into a pipe that still had oil in it with a torch. The fire has been put out and there is no indication that oil is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico.
Those who were injured in the explosion on this offshore oil platform may be able to receive benefits in accordance with the Longshore and Harbor Workers Act. This Act provides for compensation and medical care for those employees injured in the course of their maritime employment in the same way as workers’ compensation does in other industries. Anyone injured in the course of maritime employment may want to seek the advice of counsel to ensure they are receiving all of the benefits they are entitled to under relevant laws.
Bicycle Vs. Car Wreck Kills Louisiana Teen
Recently, a 17-year-old Louisiana boy was hit by a car while riding his bicycle on Louisiana Highway 182 near Jeanerette. The bicycle vs. car wreck occurred at 9:15 p.m., and police say the bicycle did not have any type of lights on it. The teen was pronounced dead at Iberia General Hospital.
The bicyclist was about 4 feet from the solid white line at the right edge of the roadway when he was hit. The 73-year-old driver of the Kia Sorrento that hit the bicycle was not injured. Authorities say that the investigation is ongoing, and they are awaiting the results of routine toxicology tests.
It is not known what charges, if any, may be filed in connection with this accident. Meanwhile, the family of the victim is left to prematurely bury their loved one. As the family struggles to come to terms with the shock of the 17-year-old’s death, they retain the right to file a wrongful death action against the driver.
Regardless of whether any criminal charges are filed by authorities, the family of this young man can turn to our state civil courts to seek financial relief in connection with this tragic car wreck. Even though it won’t bring back this 17-year-old, whose life had practically just begun, a successful lawsuit may help the family recover the financial losses that inevitably accompany an accident such as this. Medical expenses, funeral costs and the like are recoverable under Louisiana law when negligence on the part of another party is established in court as the proximate cause of the fatal accident.
Police: Louisiana Teen Tries to Blame Car Wreck on Dead Passenger
Police say that the first time they questioned a Louisiana teen about the car accident in which he was involved, he denied that he was the driver. Instead, he said that the other 17-year-old boy in the car had been driving. The other teen could not deny the allegation since he died in the car wreck.
The accident occurred when the teen driver passed a truck in a no-passing zone. As the vehicle re-entered the lane, the rear portion of his car clipped the front of the truck. This caused the driver to lose control of his car, run off the road and overturn.
The 17-year-old passenger in the vehicle was ejected. His injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The teen who police say was actually driving the vehicle has been charged with obstruction of justice and negligent homicide.
The parents of the deceased passenger retain the right to file a wrongful death claim in connection with their son’s death in this car wreck. However, the family may benefit from seeking advice regarding filing such an action due to the potential complexities. If the driver is convicted of the criminal charges now pending against him, proof of that conviction may be offered as evidence in a related wrongful death lawsuit on the issue of liability. In the civil action, the family will need to prove that the driver acted negligently in a manner that caused or contributed to the fatality. Filing a civil suit won’t bring their son back, but a successful result may give the family some measure of justice for the loss of a family member whose life had barely begun.