According to a civil complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the widow of a man who was killed in 2012 when he was involved in a tractor-trailer accident is seeking over $75,000 in damages. Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the truck driver, his employer and the company that contracted with his employer for delivery of their products.
The accident occurred when the now-deceased man had pulled over and stopped his own truck on the side of the eastbound lanes of Morris Avenue in Allentown. The man had gotten outside of his truck with his lights on; he was reportedly standing near the passenger door of his truck on the side closest to the curb. The second truck driver allegedly reached down for a soda as he neared the other truck, briefly taking his eyes off of the road.
When he looked back up, the driver was reportedly unable to avoid a collision. The force of the impact reportedly caused the stopped truck to move forward about 60 feet, striking the victim and killing him after he was pinned beneath its tires.
When people are killed in tractor-trailer accidents because of negligent conduct, the driver and his or her employer may both face civil liability. Families may be able to recover both economic and noneconomic damages in such cases for losses suffered. In addition to funeral and bereavement expenses, families may also be able to recover damages for pain and suffering, lost income, and loss of companionship, among others.