Dump Truck Accident: Ohio Student Loses Leg

If you experience a truck accident, consult with a truck accident lawyer to determine what the best course of action should be. 

In September of 2012 an Ohio State student lost his leg in an accident with a dump truck. His family has filed a lawsuit against the university and several of its contractors, alleging negligence. He was run over by a dump truck when he was riding his bike near a construction site, and as a result, the eighteen year old lost his right leg and suffered damage to his pelvis and spine. A chemical engineering student, he was on his way to class at the time of the accident. His medical case was also complicated by serious infections following the injury.

His family are suing the driver of the dump truck, 10 contractors working for OSU, and Ohio State. The lawsuits state that all failed to take necessary safety precautions to protect students in the dangerous area. According to the lawsuits, though students must pass through the construction zone on their way to classes and their dorms, the accident was foreseeable and therefore preventable. In each lawsuit the family is seeking $25,000 in punitive damages, plus court costs.

The lawyer for the truck driver says that his client is devastated by the boy’s injury but is not at fault because he “didn’t have an opportunity to avoid the collision.” The police investigation has concluded that he was most likely in the drivers blind spot, and that the driver was unable to see the student. There have been conflicting reports of the incident. Witnesses have stated that he was riding his bike on the sidewalk and did not see the dump truck turning until the accident was unavoidable. He told police, however, that he had been walking his bicycle, not riding it, and he did see the truck pull up alongside him, but when it suddenly began to turn, he yelled for the driver to stop, but the truck continued to turn, running him over.

Since the accident, additional safety measures have been put in place. Signs, cones, fencing, orange construction barrels, and more mirrors to decrease the amount of blind spots drivers experience, have all been implemented, with the hope of making the construction zone safer for students.

In this case there were a lot of factors at play, which is why three separate lawsuits were filed. If you experience a truck accident, consult with a truck accident lawyer to determine what the best course of action should be. When an accident is preventable, and results in serious injury to you or a loved one, the responsible parties should be held accountable, both to seek justice for your family, but also to ensure that future accidents will not take place. Contact the St. Louis truck accident attorneys at the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm as soon as possible to ensure that the negligent parties are held responsible.

photo credit: gvgoebel