Seattle Injury Lawyer Blog
Investigators are still trying to piece together what caused a man to lose control of his vehicle, causing a large crash on Interstate 5 in Washington. The time-consuming investigation and clean up left the southbound portion of the roadway blocked traffic for more than 10 hours. In addition to the auto injuries resulting from the crash, one fatality has also been reported.
According to Washington State troopers, a man was traveling north on I-5 near Mounts Road when he lost control of his pickup truck. The driver crossed the median and crashed head-on with a tractor-trailer after hitting a box truck. Both of the southbound vehicles caught fire as a result of the accident.
The occupants of the box truck were not seriously injured, but the tractor-trailer driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Initial evidence indicates drugs or alcohol were not a factor, but toxicology reports are still pending. Investigators have speculated the driver responsible may have experienced a medical incident just before the crash, but have been unable to interview him as he is currently hospitalized.
If auto injuries or fatalities are the result of another party’s negligence, those responsible may face a claim in civil court. Surviving family members of victims killed in an accident reserve the right to seek financial restitution for their losses as well as other damages permissible by Washington wrongful death laws. While no amount of money will ever compensate for the loss of a loved one, it can provide families with a much-needed financial recovery after an unexpected tragic accident.
Source: thenewstribune.com, No cause yet in ‘big crash’ that killed one, closed I-5 for hours, Adam Lynn, Dec. 17, 2013