A tragic accident took the life of a man from Racine, Minnesota. He was driving a Chevrolet pickup north on MN Highway 63 in Mower County. Heading south on Highway 63 was a commercial truck driver from Winnipeg, Manatoba. He was driving an International semi with a trailer. The semitrailer driver lost control and, at about milepost 26, the semi broadsided the pickup truck.
At the scene were the Minnesota State Patrol, Mower County Sheriff Office, Olmsted County Sheriff Office and Stewartville Fire Department.
The accident happened yesterday, February 18, 2016. Our thoughts are with the family.
Icy Roads
At the time of the crash, Highway 63 was icy.
Below are some of the questions that need answers to determine if there is a wrongful death claim:
- Was the semitractor driver driving too fast for the road conditions and weather?
- Should the semi driver have been on the road hauling a trailer given the road conditions?
- Was he distracted at the time of the crash?
- How long had the semi driver been on the road?
- Did a defective part in either vehicle cause the accident or contribute to the severity of the injuries?
- Were the vehicles recently serviced?
You can request a FREE case evaluation: click here now to use our free consultation form or call 1-888-377-8900. We are a Minnesota law firm with a national practice.
Attorney Eric Hageman helped a family who lost a loved one on the same road last year. He had this to say:
“It seems clear this is a tragedy which never should have happened. While it is important to allow the police to complete their investigation, the family members who lost a loved one deserve answers as to how this crash could have happened. One big question which needs to be answered is how fast was the tractor-trailer going when it lost control. Because of the danger posed by large trucks losing control on icy roads, there are safety rules in place which require truck drivers to use “extreme caution” under the type of winter weather conditions existing at the time of this crash. In fact, if the conditions are bad enough, the truck driver is even obligated to stop driving until it is safe enough to continue. Determining the truck’s speed will provide answers as to whether these rules were violated.”
“To prevent any evidence from being lost or destroyed, it will be important to send a letter to the trucking company requesting that all evidence be preserved, including the truck’s black box data.”
