PUTNAM COUNTY, TN — A chain reaction accident involving a car and two tractor-trailers claimed the life of one truck driver and sent three people to the hospital in Putnam County, Tennessee on Monday, July 14th, 2014, according to the news article released by ABC 6.
Authorities have said that they believe 46-year-old Robert Deakin was killed when the tractor-trailer he was driving is believed to have crashed into the rear of another semi-truck that slowed for traffic while driving on Interstate 70 sometime Monday afternoon.
Scene of the Accident
Authorities that arrived on the scene pronounce Robert Deaken dead. The driver of the lead semi-truck as well as the driver and passenger of another vehicle were rushed to Putnam County Hospital for the treatment of unspecified injuries.
The Tennessee State Police hope to release the results of their investigation once it has completed.
Commentary:
There are two ways I’d attack this accident, just based on what I’m seeing in the news summaries. On the one hand, I’d have an investigator with a toolbox ripping into the rear truck, specifically, the steering and braking systems. If the truck had a problem with either systems, the trucking company could be responsible for this accident for their failure to maintain a roadworthy 80,000 pound vehicle. On the other side of the coin, if the driver was distracted by his phone, television, or lunch, and failed to adjust his speed for slowing traffic, the trucking company would also find themselves in the crosshairs of some serious liability questions regarding their hiring practices and employees.
–Grossman Law Offices
