Motor vehicle accidents involving tractor-trailers often result in serious injuries and/or fatalities. Serious tractor-trailer accidents occur when cars, vans and SUVs are rear-ended by tractor-trailers. The damages and injuries are even more severe when the tractor-trailer is traveling at a high speed. There have been a few serious tractor-trailer and car accidents in New Jersey recently.
More: Rear End Car Accidents on New Jersey Roads & Highways – Secondary Impacts
A Woman is Killed After Her Car is Rear-Ended by a Tractor-Trailer in NJ
A couple of weeks ago, a 50 year old woman driving on Route 9, near the intersection of Old Mill Road, in Middlesex County, NJ was killed after her car was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
A Tractor-Trailer Driver Died After Rear-Ending a Van
Just last week, a man was killed after an accident involving a tractor-trailer and a van. The man was driving a tractor-trailer on the NJ Turnpike when he hit a van in the left rear. The van was traveling below the NJ Turnpike speed limit. The tractor-trailer driver came over a crest very quickly and did not see the van in front of him. The tractor-trailer driver tried to avoid the van, but instead, hit the van from the rear, lost control, and struck the guardrail. The tractor-trailer then overturned and caught on fire. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
NJ Lawsuits After Tractor-Trailer and Car Accidents
Injured drivers/passengers may file NJ motor vehicle lawsuits against negligent drivers or drivers who caused the accidents. Some damages they can recover from the at fault drivers are:
- medical expenses,
- lost wages, and/or
- pain and suffering.
For dependents of the deceased victims, they may file a NJ wrongful death lawsuit pursuant to NJ’s Wrongful Death Act, which is to compensate survivors for their financial losses from the death. Some of the damages recoverable are:
- loss of financial support from the deceased,
- loss of companionship, and
- loss of parental guidance and care.
Another type of lawsuit that may be filed after a car accident may be a products liability claim or dangerous products lawsuit. These claims name the manufacturer of a product as the defendant or responsible party. In the above tractor-trailer accidents, if the brake system in the tractor-trailers was defective and did not work properly, which caused the rear-end accidents, the manufacturer may be responsible for the injuries and damages sustained by the injured victims and their families. The responsible party may be the car manufacturer and/or brake manufacturer.
Need Help Filing a NJ Car Accident Claim?
NJ car accident law is very confusing, and there may be other parties responsible for the accident other than the at fault driver. If you were in a car accident, you need an experienced car accident lawyer in Cherry Hill, Marlton or Camden to properly evaluate your case. Call 800.281.8695 to schedule a FREE consultation.
*Sources:
- www.nj.com (NJ truck driver killed in fiery crash on Turnpike)
- www.nj.com (Freehold woman killed in Route 9 tractor-trailer crash)