Alabama Injury Lawyer Blog
Earlier this month, an appellate court issued a written opinion in a terrible trucking accident that claimed the life of one man and left his family with serious emotional and physical injuries. The case illustrates the level of carnage truck accidents can cause and also the types of claims Alabama truck accident victims can pursue in the wake of an accident.
The Facts of the Case
The plaintiffs in the case were several surviving family members who lost their loved one when he crashed into the back of a semi-truck that was traveling 15-18 miles per hour on the highway. The man’s son happened to be passing by the scene of the accident and recognized his father’s vehicle. The man’s son attempted to rescue his father but was unable to do so, and he sustained serious burns as a result of his rescue efforts. When the man’s wife found out about her husband’s death, she broke down and had to be hospitalized. She was unable to return to work as a result of her worsening depression.
The family members sued the defendant truck driver, that is, the estate brought claims under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act and the Illinois rescue doctrine, and the estate was successful in obtaining a jury verdict in their favor. The trucking company appealed, making several arguments on appeal, but the court affirmed the verdict in favor of the family.