In Waterville Township, Ohio, a semi ran a stop sign, causing a three-vehicle accident that resulted in two deaths.
When the semi ran the stop sign, an SUV driven by a father taking his children to school crashed into the semi. The semi then crashed into a pickup truck that was stopped at the intersection of Neapolis-Waterville and Berkey-Southern.
The driver of the SUV, Richard Seel, died at the scene. The driver of the pickup, Michael Ackerman, died two weeks after the accident. Mr. Seel’s children were hospitalized.
A number of lawsuits will arise out of this tragic accident. The families of the two men who died have grounds for wrongful death lawsuits, and the children have grounds for lawsuits seeking compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering and other damages.
Semi Truck Accident Lawsuits in Ohio
Whether a lawsuit is filed in state or federal court depends on the facts of your individual accident. The facts of your case will determine in which U.S. state the suit should be filed: the state where the semi truck accident occurred, the state where the truck driver resides, the home state of the trucking company or potentially another state. These are critical decisions that should be made by an experienced attorney. Our lawyers are licensed to practice in Minnesota, not Ohio.
The Ohio State Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Ohio. Acting through the Chief Justice and the Justices of the Court, the Supreme Court of Ohio possesses constitutional and statutory authority to exercise general powers of superintendence over the courts of the state. Most of its cases are appeals from the 12 district courts of appeals.
In Ohio, the U. S. district court system is divided into the Northern and Southern Districts. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio holds court in Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown and serves the 40 most northern Ohio counties.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio serves the 48 southernmost counties in the state. It is divided into eastern and western divisions. The Eastern Division sits at Columbus and the Western Division at Cincinnati and Dayton.
Trucking Company Insurance
Interstate trucking companies have to meet insurance requirements to cover accidents involving their vehicles. The insurance companies need to make a profit. Therefore, they immediately start investigating and strategizing to minimize settlement payouts to accident victims.
In order to protect your rights, an investigation needs to be launched on your behalf. This is critical to building a persuasive case so that you receive full compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress and potentially other damages.
The insurance generally covers an accident with a car, motorcycle, bicycle, bus, van, SUV or other vehicle. If the semi truck driver was at fault (not paying attention, texting, lost control on wet roads, etc), the insurance company may offer you a settlement. We highly recommend you speak to a lawyer before you decide whether to accept the offer. Consultations are free.