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What to Do if Your Loved One Was Killed During a Trucking Accident

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What to Do if Your Loved One Was Killed During a Trucking Accident

What to Do if Your Loved One Was Killed During a Trucking Accident

When it comes to transporting goods across our country, truck drivers work long hours to bring the household good, childhood toys, and clothes we order every day. Like all of us, these cross-country truck drivers have families and loved ones like. During the holiday season, they are just as eager to get back home to celebrate. However, this urge to get home can have dangerous and sometimes deadly consequences for cars that cross their path. If your loved one was killed as a result of a trucking accident in Delaware, you need the help of an attorney experienced in wrongful death lawsuits.

Job Duties of Truck Drivers

Drivers of heavy and tractor-trailer trucks transport goods and products from one location to What to Do if Your Loved One Was Killed During a Trucking Accidentanother, often traversing long distances at a time. Most truck drivers who use tractor-trailers are long-haul drivers towing a gross vehicle weight (GVW) over 26,000 pounds. Overall, these operators travel via interstate or cross-country routes. While dispatchers typically control the routes these men and women use, truck drivers are responsible for their vehicles and for re-routing in case of roadside emergencies or construction. Rest periods are typically required, but sometimes, drivers cut their breaks short or succumb to distractions, potentially causing car accidents and multi-vehicle wrecks.

Truck Accident Fatality Rates

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an estimated 50% of trucking fatalities and bus fatalities took place in ten states including several surrounding Delaware.

Truck accidents can be some of the most deadly and catastrophic, as the large size of the vehicles causes severe damage to those involved. The fatality rates in truck accidents are proportionally far larger than typical car accidents and come with a variety of other unique characteristics.

  • About 39% of large truck occupants who were killed were not wearing safety belts.
  • 17% of accidents with one truck driver fatality were caused by speeding.
  • 61% of fatal trucking accidents took place in rural areas.
  • 27% of fatal trucking accidents took place in work zones.
  • 6% of fatal trucking accidents were caused by distracted driving (16% of these incidences were directly linked to cell phone use).

Wrongful Death Actions in Delaware.

If your loved one died in a truck accident as a result of negligence or wrongdoing on the road, you may have grounds for a viable wrongful death lawsuit. To determine liability, you must have evidence against the potentially guilty individual or individuals and ultimately be able to that prove they were responsible for the accident that caused your loved one’s death.

Under Delaware State Law, if the person is found guilty of causing the fatal accident, damages will be awarded to you and other members of the victim’s family.

Delaware Truck Accident Attorney

Our attorneys at Edelstein, Martin, & Nelson are passionate about our practice and are knowledgeable about the laws, rules, and statutes surrounding the wrongful death of a loved one in the State of Delaware. We fight for the rights of the victims’ family members and will help you receive justice in these catastrophic circumstances. If your loved one was killed in a trucking accident, contact our office at (800) 300-0909 to speak with a qualified attorney today.

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