A Department of Public Works employee was on duty early Saturday morning for curbside refuse collection when a car ran into his crew’s truck. In an instant, the impact smashed his legs and put him in critical condition. As the crew scrambled to his aid, the car reversed direction and sped away.
Below is a video made by the Denver Police on how that department investigates hit-and-run accidents. We have added it here for informational purposes. This accident did not happen in Denver.
This hit-and-run injury marks the third time since 1998 that a refuse collector in this northeastern city was critically or fatally injured by a passing motor vehicle. While police have made an arrest in the latest case, the man who was injured has told city officials that he would like to return to work as soon as he is physically healed. He has been described in news accounts as a willing, dependable city employee of excellent character.
The circumstances of this injury suggest that the injured city worker could sue the hit-and-run driver, possibly to include punitive damages above and beyond any standard claim settlement. Punitive damages come into play in injury lawsuits when the individuals who are responsible for the harm violated laws, acted recklessly or with gross negligence. The root definition of “punitive” is related to “punish.”
A news report this week said the hit-and-run driver had been at an all-night drinking party until a short time before the accident. The suspect also has admitted to police he faked a collision between his car and a parked truck to make it look like the damage to his vehicle was unrelated to striking the city worker and the city garbage truck.
The man facing criminal charges and a potential work injury lawsuit is a 24-year-old. Meanwhile, the injured man is 39 years old and was working on the 700 block of South Main Avenue when the tragedy occurred around 6 a.m.
Our law firm represents people hurt or killed in motor vehicle accidents, including hit-and-run cases where the perpetrator has been identified by police. If you want to talk to an attorney about your case, leave your contact information here or call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900.
